Scream Again
by XshadowXcullenX
Summary: Starts from the episode of Stranded. Raven got away from those little creatures that repeated her words and found herself in horrifying circumstances.How did the teen titans find her? What happens to Raven? Will this change Raven and possibly Robin's life forever? okay not the best summary, but the story is pretty awesome to me. RaeRob. OOC Starfire & maybe Beastboy
1. Chapter 1

**Begins near the end of STRANDED. Let's just pretend it happened after THE END PART 3.**

**You know. The one where the ever idiotic Starfire no longer believes she's a girl or Robin's friend. So Robin has to go to extreme measures like flirting to get her to believe that they're friends. In this version, Robin will soon know who he really wants to be his girlfriend. BTW, Starfire is very OOC.**

Most of the Titans had regrouped and boarded the T-ship, and now the four teens scour the planet they all miraculously landed on, searching for their lost teammate. Beast Boy glances half-heartedly towards the planet ground whenever he completes a level on his hand-held version of Super Monkey Ninja 4. Starfire knows the others will find her. Not that she cares anyway. Cyborg is quite focused and uses all of the most helpful technology on the ship to attempt to locate who he considers his one and only younger sister. He guesses she broke her communicator when she landed. Robin, well, his state is slightly unheard of for the stoic leader. The only time he's ever been this worried or concerned was when his black bird had destroyed the world. The Titans, save Starfire, begin to wonder if she had landed on a different planet all together.

* * *

Raven POV

After handing over my cloak and swiftly floating away from the creatures somehow obsessed with me, I have arrived to the entrance to what I believe is the center of this wretched planet. (It's quite surprising how many nearby planets contain oxygen). Most of this place is white and pinkish with colorful trees growing in random plots, but here, where my communicator says the signal is getting stronger, the trees are gray, black, and covered in a shadowy, smoky substance I can't identify. Something, I'm not sure what exactly, smells strangely familiar...in a bad way. If there is danger on this planet, it will most likely live and thrive in that forest. But, of all of the places I would rather fight, this didn't seem too bad. Dark: Night-vision and heightened senses. Closely packed trees: branches I can use as weapons. I decide against my gut and begin to stumble through the undergrowth.

Everything here feels dead, as if something's sucking the life out of it. Kind of reminds me of my room…except darker. Occasionally, I'll hear a short whisper echo through the trees, but for all I know, that's normal on this world. I keep walking, sometimes tripping, on roots and plants that _move _into my way. Whenever I notice this, I hear the whispers louder, but not loud enough to make out what they're saying. If they even speak English. The strange thing is, that if there was a form of life nearby, I would sense its presence, but here, the only thing I feel is a strange pressure in my stomach. The feeling of being watched.

My communicator pings, announcing that there is only one bar needed for minimal connection to my friends. Just a little bit farther and I'll be able to call Robi—the Titans. Right.

* * *

Subsequent to a useless search of the planet most of them had landed on, the Titans decide to move onto the next one closest to them. Her piece of the ship couldn't have gone far. On their way to the rosy looking planet, Robin, for what seemed like the millionth time, anxiously rambles, which is quite unlike him, about how they haven't found her yet. "Well that was a complete waste of time. For all we know, Raven landed on a planet with no oxygen! What if she's in trouble? What if she needs our help? What if—"

"Robin! Bro! Chill out. Take a deep breath. I'm workin' on it. Besides, Raven knows how to take care of herself. She's probably trying to fix her communicator right now, waiting for us to find her." Cyborg interrupts.

"I would very much like to travel home now please!" Starfire huffs.

"We're not going back home until we find Raven!" Robin shouts.

"Do we have any food?" Beast Boy asks.

"How can you even think of food at a time like this?" More importantly, why does it seem like he and Cy are the only ones really concerned?

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**Sorry no real cliffy, but I SWEAR IT GETS SOOOO MUCH BETTER! PLEASE REVIEW!**

**XOXO~shadow**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok I know the first chapter wasn't that good, but hey, neither was the first chapter of the hunger games or twilight. Not that this story is anywhere near as amazing.**

**RAVEN: I'm stuck in a weird forest here! Get on with it! **

**Ok fine here:**

* * *

Raven POV

The farther I walk, the darker and…louder the forest gets. I wouldn't admit this to anyone but myself, but this place is beginning to become sort of…creepy. I just want some big monster to attack me out of nowhere to get it over with; I hate this constant aura of…nervousness surrounding me. Right now, I just have to focus on the communicator's signal and get the heck out of here.

Something rustles the loose twigs on the trees above me. I look up and spy a flash of white and gray, but it's gone before I can identify it. The whispering starts up again…but closer. There are many voices overlapping each other and I can hear tiny footsteps on branches and the swampy forest floor. I walk a bit quicker. _"half"—"young"—"don't need others". _I suddenly long for the faux sense of protection that comes with wearing my cloak. All around the nearby trees and dreary bushes, I can make out their small, gray bodies and flashing milky eyes. There are so many .They can't be… I begin to run.

* * *

"Shoo! Shut Up!" The other Titans have finally found a helpful life form. Robin knows she must be here somewhere. That's exactly what Raven would say listening to these guys follow her around. While Cyborg once again searches for Raven's signal, or heartbeat, Beast Boy and Starfire enjoy the new distraction. "I AM BEAST BOY! Say it! Beeeaaaast Booooooyyy." "Shut Up!" Starfire giggles at the unintentional insult and bends down to cuddle with one of the adorable creatures, but they scuttle away. Robin sighs in frustration at the two immature teammates and hopes that he finds Raven soon.

The strange pink-eyed creatures rejoin another group that is worshipping a dark blue piece of cloth. Raven's cloak! Just as Robin is about to show Cyborg, his light blue mechanical arm lights up and emits a loud beeping noise. "I've got Raven's heartbeat. It's heightened though. That's why it took me so long to find it."

"Titans! Let's go find Raven!" _I hope Raven isn't in danger. _Robin's hope is a powerful thing, especially when there's danger involved. But this time, it's futile.

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**Told you it would get better. Sorry, i just had to build the suspense and cut it off there. What do you think's gonna happen? You like? Please review! It motivates me to write. You know how much you want more *wink***

**If you want to see what the creatures look like, the link is on my profile**

**Xoxo~ shadow**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay this chappie gets a TINY bit graphic sooo reader discretion is advised. WAY WORSE in next chapter!**

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Raven POV

They chase me. I hear them all now. How could I not have noticed the slow dwindling of my powers as they drew closer? I can't attack them. I can only run. _"Perfect"—"keep"—"easy" _Their words are not English, yet I still understand. How could I not have noticed? I pump my legs faster but they still leap from tree to tree, shadow to shadow above me, beside me behind me. The only way to go is forward. My lungs scream for air. _They_ scream for blood. Below me, the mud gets thicker and there is more rock than trees. I can see them more clearly now. They leap like fleas from tree to tree across wider and wider distances. Gray hairless bodies wrinkled skin and fragile bones. They are stronger than they look, of course.

I can't ward them off and I can't sprint forever. Think Raven! Think! They're like ants, each one about as large as my whole hand; strength in numbers. They're photophobic, but even if I had a source of light, it wouldn't keep them away for long. They snicker now, all of them; staring at me with pupil-less white eyes. All of a sudden, they stop simultaneously. Another step and I've fallen. Sneaky trap with a clear wire. On their level now they surround me, I struggle. Of course I do, but there are too many too quick holding me down and biting me. Tiny teeth pierce white flesh. I whimper and I writhe until one emerges with a hammer. My communicator pings. "Raven?"

* * *

Raven's elevated heartbeat had led the four restless teens into a gloomy, ash colored forest in the center of the planet. They haven't been walking for too long, yet already, Beast Boy is hiding behind an irritated Cyborg and Starfire is clinging to Robin's cape in fear. Robin's strides get longer as they walk deeper into the murky wood (if it is wood). Their surroundings get darker, Raven's heart beats faster, and Robin's mood grows ever more concerned. He is suddenly reminded of when he toured Hell searching for Raven and once again wishes for her well-being.

Robin's communicator beeps quite loudly, breaking the nervous silence and alerting Robin to Raven's signal. He immediately calls her and the rest of the team crowds around him. "Raven?" Robin barely contains the relief in his tone that disappears as soon as it came. The screen is pitch black and the team can hear lots of unintelligible whispering on her end.

"Raven! Yoo hoo! Where the heck have you been?" Beast Boy yells into the communicator and earns a smack on the head from Cyborg for his idiocy. The whispering grows louder but it's more like mumbling to them for they don't know the language or where it's coming from. There is a loud crack and the signal is lost once again.

The team's reactions are immediate.

Beast Boy: "Aw, Come on! She didn't hang up on us did she?"

Starfire: a mere eye roll

Cyborg and Robin wear similar masks of alarm and worry as Cyborg once again checks Raven's heart. It's slow; she's unconscious. Their eyes lock in slight panic.

"Titans! Raven's in trouble and we need to get to her NOW! Cyborg, lead the way and Beast Boy scout ahead as a falcon for danger! Go!" Robin shouts. Only Cyborg, Robin's best guy friend, hears the panic and urgency behind the leader's words.

* * *

Raven's POV

Superhero 101: Never open your eyes immediately after waking in an unfamiliar place. Pretend to be asleep until no longer convenient. Blindly, I assess my terrifying predicament. I feel rope wound tightly around my wrists and ankles; my body in an X dangling from a ceiling I presume. The coarse material roughly grates against my bare ankles and wrists. I don't have my shoes anymore. Easier to tie? They've only left me with my leotard. I can't feel any sort of wall or rock I can stealthily use anywhere near me. I taste blood in my mouth. I smell limestone, dust and once more, blood. Most likely not mine considering the only pain I feel right now is in my wrists, head and ankles. I might be in an underground cave. What I hear is worst. Their whisperings are excited now, waiting impatiently to feed and there are distant whimpers from what? I'm not sure.

I will not panic. I will not panic. I will not panic. I will hang here limp as I have been and…and what? Wait until the igles wake me? Of all the fearsome creatures, I had to run into the leeches of the demon world? Just my luck! The type that render my powers useless. Especially, now that their venom courses through my veins. That's one of the last things I remember before the hammer struck my temple. They bit me. The tiny injuries still sting. Are the Titans even coming for me? Because that's the only way I can think of to get out. I HATE feeling vulnerable or admitting that I need help, but without my powers, it feels like there's no way I'll escape on my own.

The whimpering grows louder until I hear something being dragged across what sounds like dirt and stone. _"no use now"—"start finally kill"—"can use death before-" _What's going on? I can hear someone sobbing. Are the igles dragging a human? I've read about how they sometimes take captives and use them longer than usual. They must teleport from here to Earth and back frequently to obtain humans with any demon blood at all. That must be how they got a hammer. What other human tools do they have here?

I can't fight my curiosity any longer and gradually, my eyes flicker open. I can tell it's pitch black in here even though I can see just fine. They can see just as well and immediately notice my open eyes. Their milky ones brighten in excitement and malicious joy and they whisper again, noisy as ever. Swiftly, I assess my surroundings. I was right about the rope tying me to the ceiling and floor of the underground cave. There must be multiple caverns down here because I don't see an exit leading outside. Mentally, I prepare myself for whatever it is that they've dragged in here and what they've done to make it sob so terribly. Slowly, my eyes wander to the figure on the stone floor near my feet.

Once more, I am correct and I wish I wasn't. They've mangled the pitiable girl beyond mental repair. Worse, is her physical state. Normally, I'm not one to get queasy when I encounter gory scenes, but _this,_ this is horrifying.

* * *

**Found this on YouTube and thought it would be good to tack on to the end of this chapter. Poem completely written by Katy Towell. Hope you appreciate it as much as I did. Hint about next chappie:**

I am here. I am everywhere  
Every place you've been I have waited  
Every face you've seen I have worn  
I have not one name but thousands  
I come on the wings of an epidemic  
Of a massacre  
A lone scream in the night  
Announced by the distant thunder of a war  
or the bleat of the slaughtered calf  
I visit the dying in their burning skin  
Devour the bodies of the sick  
I crush the hearts of the hopeful as I dance on the backs of the weak  
Your greatest fears are my delight  
With your cries you invite me in  
I am the betrayal you could not have seen  
The killer you thought you knew  
One day I will be your mother or your father or your friend  
Another day I will be your neighbor, or perhaps I'll work through you  
There are monsters hiding in your closet  
There are ghosts beneath your bed  
The dream you feared was real  
Was real  
These are gifts to you from me  
I love you in my little way  
With your suffering I am alive!  
Can't you hear the music on the wind?  
Don't you recognize the tune?  
Is it you my friend, your struggling?  
Your spirit torn limb from limb?  
But I am not death  
Death is your deliverer  
Death looks to me with sorrow in his eyes and asks, "Why must you do this?"  
My answer remains unchanged  
"I do what you cannot."  
No end is swift under my watch  
Mercy is a mistake I correct  
I am peace destroyed and eyes forced open  
The ragged ring around your neck.  
I am your secret wish for others  
I am their secret wish for you  
I have not one name but thousands  
But you... you may call me Agony  
And I am pleased to make your acquaintance

**Sounds like something raven would read in her books (along with Edgar Allan Poe of course) Now I've given you plenty of hints about the future of this story in this Author note. So pleeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaase review! What do you like? What do you hate? How do you like the Poem? Thanks for reading!**

**XOXO~shadow**


	4. Chapter 4

**Bad voice(usually the one trying to get me fat by tempting me with cookies): WRITE!**

**Me: No! I want them to review more!**

**Bad voice: no one likes you! Just write for the sake of writing while the ideas are floating in here!**

**Me: buuutttt…*sighs and grudgingly starts typing***

* * *

After half an hour of running and flying at top speed, the Titans still haven't found Raven. They decided to take a break, much to Robin's enmity. Beast Boy tried to catch her scent as a bloodhound, but had no luck with this otherworldly mud. Raven's heartbeat changed again once she awoke (to Cyborg and Robin's extreme relief) and wasn't difficult to relocate considering there aren't any other heartbeats nearby. What was she attacked by? Zombies? Which of course was Beast Boy's first guess. Along with aliens. And robots.

Only Robin seems to know they're getting closer. He and Raven have a mental bond and have shared secrets unintentionally, building the trust between them immensely. When he's, at most, 10 miles away from her, (he's probably closer than that) Robin can slightly feel Raven's extreme emotions. Ever since Trigon's temporary demise, she's been able to feel emotions freely. Though she's told the team it will be difficult to get used to, Robin knows she's glad to finally be free of that horrid piece of her powers. In fact, they are permanently white now, since they are no longer influenced by her father's darkness. But for Robin, there's no time to be thinking positive because right now, Raven is _terrified._

* * *

Raven's POV

Everytime I blink I see her. Pieces of dull blonde hair pulled out, not by the igles (a clear sign she's gone mad). Eyes closed and used to the endless darkness. Eyebrows scrunched together in constant pain. Nearly purple shadows under her eyes. Broken nose. Coughs up blood every minute or so. Simply _covered _in dirt, blood and other bodily fluids. Deep cuts, some infected mar her once perfect skin. Almost every bone in her body is broken, save maybe her spine, one knee and a rib. In most joints, you can see the white bone pushed out of her skin. The knots, similar to mine, are the type the igles can pull on and easily tighten. Which is how they shattered her wrists and ankles.

I attempt to calm down. It isn't working. I'm practically hyperventilating. They've left her here shaking beneath me for at least 5 minutes; occaisionally crawling on her causing her to whimper quite loudly for one whose throat looks torn open on the side. I'm surprised she isn't dead. The igles feed of the fear plain on her face. The more she shows them, the more satisfied they become. But I can only sense maybe half a pint of demon blood in her, not even enough to activate her powers. The demons they can feed off of are few and far between and they've been magically banned from the Underworld or as some like to call it, Hell. So they feed off of innocent humans with mere drops of any demon blood at all. _I must be the best catch they've gained in centuries. _

One of the black hearted creatures grabs a knife, coppery with dried blood, from a large toolbox I hadn't noticed in the far corner of the cavern. I try to slow my breathing and keep the fear off my face to keep them from getting stronger, but even for me, who's had tons of practice with a blank face, am having difficulty keeping my eyes averted from the scene. The girl never even noticed me she's kept her eyes shut so tight. She never saw the knife plunge into her heart. She didn't even scream. The igles glare at me hoping to gain a terrified reaction. I compose my features even if I'm screaming on the inside. _**"Don't need others"**_I've finally realized the horrible reality. They're going to kill all of their captives in front of me. They don't need them because they have a half-demon now. The igles drag the nameless body to another cavern that reeks of death.

Well, if they're going to torture me, they'll have a tough time with it. I've been tortured before and I won't give up without a fight. They're smart little leeches and I'm sure they'll give me another dose of venom, but I've got to keep the fear locked up so that the igles are weak when Robin and the rest come to find me. I refuse to say rescue. I'm not some helpless princess. Even if my powers are gone… Yeah I'm screwed.

* * *

**Told you it'd get graphic and it just goes downhill from here. Please as always, review! What was your favorite part? What'd you hate? Love? did you enjoy the way i wrote it? Will the titans get there on time?**

**XOXO~ shadow**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ah! I love this! Is it weird that I read my own stories over and over again? Anywayzz next chappie!**

**p.s forgive me, but I can't keep thinking of delays for the team so I'm just going to stop torturing you and- (start torturing Raven mwahahaha) shut up brain!-I meeeaan just write in Raven's point of view until they rescue-sorry Raven- **_**find**_** her**

* * *

Raven's POV **(obviously pshha)**

The process of elimination is burned into my memory permanently. There were _three_ others just like her, except one was a guy, all about 20 years old. Through almost the same torture. Each one seemed to be captured more recently though, each one just a little bit more petrified, vocal, squirmy. One even stared at me in terror as she died. It's a rarity when I cry, but this is heart-wrenching.

They drag another in. My eyes widen in horror. She's a TODDLER! Black hair and shiny blue eyes. Bruised and broken, but **save-able.** No longer am I afraid of these things. I just want to kill them. How dare they hurt these people, this _child!_ She's dehydrated obviously, but new! Screaming and hardly ripped clothing. Her red, tear stained baby face stares at me and screams again. "Help! Help me! I want my mommy!" struggling, they pull at her wrist and she screams in pain. Her blood tinges the rope crimson. "Please!" she sobs. Finally my lips listen to my brain and respond. "Don't struggle! I'll get you out! Just try to calm down okay? I'm going to—mmfmgh" One igle climbed up my leotard and places a piece of duct tape on my mouth. I jerk my head to the right so that it falls and hits the ground hard. They whisper urgently while the little victim hugs her knees to her chest and clamps her mouth shut, hopeful, trusting eyes sparkling with fresh tears. _"quickly—"last one"—"finally"_ I listen to them and watch in dread as the girl keeps her eyes on me and the igle that fell to the floor grips a scalpel and scampers behind her. _NO!_ I desperately try to warn her with my eyes and shake my head in alarm. Then her eyes widen suddenly and her tiny body goes limp.

The tip of a metal scalpel pierces her skin from the inside out and the sparkle leaves her eyes as a last tear runs down her angel face and drips from her chin to the rocky cavern ground.

NOO! I try to scream but the tape makes that impossible. She was just a child! I struggle fiercely at the ropes trying to get to her and…and heal her or at least get her away. They drag her lifeless corpse to the other cavern as I screech in protest and she becomes another body in a growing pile of innocents on this gods-forsaken planet.

Suddenly, the igles whisper deafeningly as I glare murderously at these…murderers! Another one scrambles up the ropes and peels off the tape, it's minute claws digging into my face to hold on as I squirm, fighting to get it off. The tape floats to the ground and other igles climb up the ropes and nip at my ankles and calves. Like I said, more blasted _venom._ The one on my shoulder claws its way up my face and locks it's misty eyes to mine. _"Your turn" _it whispers in demonstongue. The others snicker in delight.

* * *

Raven's emotions spike once more. First, horror; then, rage, sadness, murderous rage again and once more, fear. Robin can feel all of this with impeccable clarity and, he has to admit, anxiety. He orders his team to get moving again. This time, pacing themselves. The longer the pair last jogging, and the other two flying, the faster they get to Raven. Robin once more wished for his best friend's safety and that the team will find her before she becomes seriously injured. Robin is not a fool. He knows it's very likely that she's already been through too much even if it breaks his heart. But Robin swears to himself, he will _not_ let her die.

* * *

**I don't want to end it here, but my writing instincts tell me it will build suspense for you guys and add some emotion to this story. This was seriously supposed to be longer,( and cliffier) but I've still gotta sleep and dream up some coolness for the next chappie. Fave part in the story so far? Any suggestions? Did I make any of you guys cry? Of course, REVIEW! oh and GODSS-forsaken was on purpose lolz**

**XOXO~ shadow**


	6. Chapter 6

**Omg! Chapter 6! Here's a bit of action for ya! Gore train: all aboard!...i'm such an idiot. **

**Reviewerz, I love you; especially 13DeadSilence13! And to all those people who read my story and don't tell me what you like, yyyyy r u torturing me like this? That's for you too kell young and Takua Nui whoever you are. And Guest, whoever you are, I wish I could private message you, but you were SPOT ON with your review! Raven's gonna get it in chap 6! Anywayzzz here!**

* * *

Raven's POV

Faster than I could comprehend what it meant, it hopped off my face and joined another on my shoulder as I squirmed violently, ignoring the burning sensation of the venom on my legs. The pair of demons scramble up my arm, grasp a loose piece of rope, and stare at my frantic eyes for a second before they yank on it and my left wrist audibly breaks. _Crack!_ The pain is all in my head…it's all in my head. I've had worse! My stomach tightens and I clench my teeth to keep from making noise. The igles hiss in frustration and a few run to a separate cavern once more, returning with a couple pieces of long rope. Others let go of my violently jerking body (some fall) TAKE THAT! They scamper away towards the toolbox.

Crap.

I fight harder against the ropes even when I know it's pointless and each time I move it sends a flare of pain through my wrist. The igles with the rope climb up my midsection and claw their way around my scuffed up leotard as I twist and jerk my body. Eventually they tie my torso in the same knot that they always use, the other ends attached to stalagmites to my left and right. Evil+cleverness= igle. Now, my struggling is even less effective. A few with knives have begun the bloody trek up my legs. I kick with all my might, but a couple reach my hip while one swiftly stabs my thigh with a dirty steak knife. That's unsanitary. It's like they know there's a major artery there. The unforgiving steel easily slices through muscle and fat. My jaw muscles are going to be so sore…if I live that long. My teeth are bared and my head tilted back almost involuntarily, but once more, I refuse to scream. Even if it hurts like the 7 pits of Hell, I hope they don't pull it out, because if they do, I'll be dead of blood loss in less than an hour.

Ten more of these soulless monsters scale my legs with their claws and weapons. Small, bleeding holes are left from their tiny, sharp fingers digging into my skin. They find their way to my back and stomach and agonizingly slow, drag the knives and needles across my skin, adding to the old scars that riddle them already. Some become deep gashes and others merely stinging scratches, but they bleed all the same. The crimson liquid soaks my leotard and the stab wound has begun a steady stream down my leg. I attempt to keep my breathing even, but I've already let a few whimpers slip. They split into two groups now: some down to my right ankle and many to my left shoulder. I scrunch my eyes shut tight. One group pulls, the other pushes. _Snap! Pop! _I used to think I had a strong will. I don't anymore. It's been too long since I last…not now! I grunt at the dislocation of my shoulder and my face turns pink with the strain of holding back a screech from my broken ankle. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on now that they carve up my arms.

The two on my hip have gathered others onto each piece of rope on my left and right. They begin to pull. I tighten my lips in preparation for the inevitable pain. The twine squeezes me at a snail's pace, but that's more than enough. It becomes difficult to breathe when my ribs start to bruise. They're going to suffocate me! The agony of the torture they've put me through finally breaks me and up my throat shoots a deafening scream that does nothing to relieve any of the pain in my chest. Some of my ribs have cracked and they will soon shatter and quite possibly poke holes in my lungs that would quickly end this misery. Tears leave a salty trail down my cheeks as I prepare my last desperate attempt. The igles laugh and feast on my obvious pain as I muster all of the mental strength I have left and hold tight to the bond Robin and I share. _Robin, if you can hear me, I..NEED your help…..please! _I hear many splintering bones as my vision blurs and blackens. Even if that message gets to him at all, I'll be dead before they get here. I never thought I'd be the type for sappy mental good-byes, but then again, I never thought I'd be in this situation at all. _I love you Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg,…Robin ._My eyelids won't stay open any longer and they drop until all I see is darkness.

* * *

Had the Titans not recently begun walking slowly towards where Raven's slowing heart beat shows she is, Robin would not have heard the whisper in the back of his mind over his own breathing. _Robin, if you can hear, …NEED …help..please! _Some was too quiet to comprehend, but as soon as he heard Raven's whisper through their bond, he stopped dead in his tracks. Cyborg looks back at him. "We're really close Robin. Why are you stop-"Suddenly, Beast Boy is heard squealing and the two swiftly catch up to Starfire who's standing next to a long hole. "Beast Boy?" she calls. A green bat flaps up from the hole, and Beast Boy morphed back in front of Robin. "There's this creepy whispering and it's pitch black and it's a whole underground cave thingy and it smells like zombies and-"

"Let's go." Just as Starfire is about to grab Robin in her arms to float him down there, he steps into the hole like it's flat ground and Cyborg jumps in after him. Beast Boy shrugs and hops in and soon after follows Starfire. "Cyborg, Starfire, a little light?" The pair silently light up the underground cave and they see a long, rocky hallway with about 7 separate caverns. He starts forward, and upon closer inspection, finds that there's a lot of blood mixed in with the dirt down here. He decides not to frighten the team. To his left is a few entrances to tiny caverns splattered in more blood and pieces of rope. No hiding it now. Cyborg clenches his teeth and BB and Starfire gasp in horror. To their right, is a very large opening to another cavern. The second Cy and Star illuminate it, the Titans faces go pale and their eyes widen in terror. Right in front of them, countless bodies lie mangled and bloody, some becoming skeletons and others, fresh and white as sheets. The first one Robin notices is a little girl about 3 or 4 years old, with blank cerulean eyes and curly, matted black hair; stabbed from behind it seemed. She was the only one with barely any damage. Cyborg winces and sighs in relief when he finds that Raven is nowhere to be seen among the devastating carnage. Beast Boy backs away and murmurs into Robin's ear, "There's a lot of whispering in the last cavern on the end. And…slight breathing." Immediately, he yanks Starfire's wrist to bring her out of her frozen state of shock and fear. "Titans, we are going to run straight to the cavern on the end, and free Raven. Do your best to kill whatever awaits us. It shouldn't be left to live after all it's done. Okay? Follow my lead." Robin turns and races toward the magnet-like force pulling him to the cavern at the end of the hallway.

**HA! Thought I would keep going didn't you? Well you'll just have to wait! Will Raven survive without her powers? Will the titans even beat the igles? Please review! LUVS YA!**

**XOXO~shadow**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chap 7! Yay! Action and suspense is chocked full in this chappie! Well I know I left u hanging last chap so read minions read! (u too SILENTecho22,** **MysteryGirl2401, Aladin03 I know you read and don't review! Plz do so!)**

* * *

Robin's POV: **(didn't see that coming did ya?)**

Batman Rule of Combat #22: Analyze and use your surroundings to your advantage.

That rule is null and void when my most valuable teammate is hung on ropes being squeezed to death by little demons with rope. They were charcoal in color; quite a few tiny maws scarlet with blood: Raven's blood.

Starfire, Beast Boy and Cyborg didn't even need the command to attack. Already, a quarter of them were burned with Starfire's star-bolts, clawed, bitten, and stomped on by Beast Boy, and neutralized by Cyborg. "Titans! Cover me!" My team forms a triangle around me while I work swiftly to free Raven with a birdarang. She's in worse shape than I had thought at first glance. When I cut her out completely, she was covered in blood, some needles and a knife still stuck inside her pale flesh and most of her ribs crushed. I almost cried in relief when I felt a heartbeat. Weak, but present.

Still, the strange creatures attack. Starfire's having trouble keeping them off of her legs because of the low ceiling, Beast Boy's busy ripping the ropes they keep trying to trap him in, and Cyborg's holding his own pretty well, due to the metal they can't break. They whisper, hiss and shriek constantly, while my team mates annihilate them in groups. All the while, Raven's heart beat fades as I hold her bridle style in the middle of my triangle, kicking some that make it through. I'm torn between wanting to join the battle to gain some revenge for what they did to her, and keeping her safe in my arms.

The latter wins.

Beast Boy and Starfire no longer struggle as the number of creatures still breathing decreases. "Cyborg, Raven needs medical attention. _Now._ Beast Boy, Starfire, can you finish them on your own and meet us at the T-ship when you've made sure they've been killed?" Two yeses and Cyborg is giving me a leg up out of the hole, and I help him out with one hand, Raven still unconscious, leaning her body against me. Given the terrifying situation, I don't know why holding Raven close to me would make me feel so …whole. Kind of like how I felt so happy when Raven defeated her father and hugged me saying that I believed in her…I always will. I'm worried beyond belief, but I still have faith that she'll get through this. She's strong.

Cyborg and I sprint in anxious silence except for my heavy breathing. I don't think I've run like this, so desperately, in all my life as I pray to every god I know that Raven will live. Zeus, Jesus, Allah, Krishna…just please let Rae be okay!

When it seems we'll never get there, Cyborg and I finally, FINALLY reach the ship. Raven's fading fast and is even losing faith in herself. Carefully I lay her down on her side in her compartment, so as not to worsen any of her numerous injuries. Cyborg returns with his massive emergency kit and carefully starts cutting away at her torn sleeves and the piece of leotard covering her abdomen. Once we see most of the damage done, we share another panicked glance and Cy begins to clean her cuts as swiftly and diligently as possible.

"Can I help in any way?" I ask, for I can't sit here uselessly and watch her bleed. Cyborg hands me a small bottle of rubbing alcohol, a few gauze pads, and a large roll of more gauze. "The most severe of her injuries will have to be treated at home with emergency surgery, "-here he clears his throat-"but for now you can start cleaning and wrapping any cuts you see and pull out the needles." Cyborg keeps his eyes averted as I throw my head into my hands and pace. "How could I let this happen to her!" He stops me before I get started. "Stop blaming yourself! The best thing you can do for her right now is help me!"

I walk over to him, take a deep breath, and begin to wipe down a deep gash by her shoulder. "Robin, I'm your best friend. I know what you're feeling even if you don't get it yourself. When you do figure it out, I'll be there. That's clean enough Robin. Wrap it quickly and I'll stitch it up at home." He gestures toward Raven's shoulder. I'm not sure what he means exactly about what I'm feeling, but as I'm about to ask him about it, something distracts me. Wiping away the blood on her back, I notice that there are many scars; old ones pink and white stand out against her pale skin, mixing with the new bleeding cuts. I have to remember to ask her about that…if I get a chance. "Robin, when you pull out the needles, do it slowly so you don't damage the muscle tissue any more." Cy warns me. Gradually, I pinch a needle between my fingers and pull it out of her skin. It's stained the rusty brown of dried blood and dripping the bright vermilion of fresh blood. Slightly, I feel a faint twinge of pain in my back. The same place the needle used to be in her skin. If our bond is still strong, so is her mind. It might be keeping her from feeling her previous breaks and injuries while she's unconscious, but I don't know why she's not just healing her body with her powers.

Beast Boy and Starfire just got here and they've sustained the usual cuts and bruises, but they'll be fine. "Cyborg, is it a good idea to try and wake her up?" I ask.

"You can try. She'll be in pain, but if she's coherent enough, you might be able to tell her what's going on and encourage her to stay awake until we get home." He replies.

"Thanks. Beast Boy and Starfire, get into your designated compartments. Cyborg, you can take mine so you can steer us home as fast as possible. I'll be in Raven's compartment with her so I can try to wake her up." Cyborg hands me the rather large medical kit.

"This has a defibrillator in it. To activate it, all you've got to do is push the red button. I hope you don't have to use it, but keep her alive, okay?" Cyborg then walks off to my part of the ship and everyone gets in. I pick Raven up once more and lay her across my lap between my torso and the control panel, her head resting on my shoulder as we take off.

I can feel her injuries through her bare skin. Her wrist and ankle have swelled up as big as water balloons, her ribcage is purple with a strange shape to it, her shoulder is slightly bent in the wrong way, and some of these cuts went straight down to the bone though Cyborg wrapped them up, so she wouldn't bleed out. He told me it was best to keep the knife where it was for it was stuck in a major artery and he placed a gauze wrap around where it pierced her leg to staunch the blood flow. I concentrate on her uninjured, deathly pale face and the mental bond we share. _**"Raven, can you hear me? Can you move at all? Open your eyes Raven, please! Please..." **_

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Raven POV

Even stuck in my own little world of never ending torture, I heard his words. Spoken, through his mind and his voice, how could I not feel the burning intensity behind them? He…he loves me. I know I can't give up now. I can hear my heartbeat slowing and strain to keep it from stopping completely. I believe this is one of the hardest feats I could ever attempt. Every bone, muscle, organ, hurts. It _**hurts.**_ If I move, it'll hurt more. So, here I lay, in my leader's arms, basking in this moment, praying to Azar it's not my last. For if it is,

I'll never have been able to tell him I love him too.

**AWWW! Don't you just love LOVE? Soooo? What do you think? Will Robbie have to use the defibrillator? Been waiting too long? As always, pleeeaaaaasssee review! It's not that hard! Look the comment box is right THERE!**

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	8. Chapter 8

**Oh so excited! So many reviews! I lovez you guys! PPL who favorite or story alert this story but don't review and make me sad: H'sfreedom, Emmi30307. Yes I will name…pennames. If you like my story please tell me! Special Thanks to my special reviewers: BeautifulAndStrangeDragon and 13DeadSilence13! Love you all! OH! And for all of you crazy people who thought this story was near its end, you are SOOOO wrong! There will be a looong recovery process that includes fluff, scares, and of course, a jealous alien.**

**To:Emma (Guest): THANKS for reviewing so much! ur soo sweet! I hope chap 4 answered your question to her emotion thing. And you'll see that you were right about the story on your comment for chap 7(no spoilers for everyone else) love ya!**

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Robin checks the digital clock on the T-ship's monitor…Again. 3 minutes past the estimated travel time at high speed. Robin reached over Raven's unmoving figure, and hastily pulled on the forgotten headset that permits communication between the titans in the ship. He switched on the microphone and put his free hand back on Raven's cheek, his gloves long abandoned and useless in the situation. Briefly, Robin glances at her eyelids, wishing he could see her violet irises. "Cyborg, what's holding you up?" he speaks into the mic. Through the speakers in the headset, Cyborg's voice responds, "Unless you want to get crushed by a barrage of asteroids, we have to wait until the there's a clear path through the Belt, Robin. You know that." Robin did in fact know this, but the Asteroid Belt had held them up for half an hour on one trip and Raven certainly doesn't have that kind of time. In fact, judging by the amount of blood leaking through the bandages, she's lost maybe 3-4 pints already. Nearly half. If Robin hadn't been checking every 30 seconds for a heartbeat, he would believe she was already dead. Desperate, Robin speaks again. "Navigate through it." At his solemn tone, Beast Boy and Starfire gasp. "But Robin, the ship could be easily broken and you would turn the blue like the living holberneks of Vanikson!"

"Yeah, what she said! I know Raven's hurt, but we'll _all_ go Kablooie if we try to fly through THAT!" Beast Boy attempts to warn him.

Cyborg is torn. Unlike Beast Boy, he knows the depth of Raven's condition and Robin immediately notices the hesitation in Cyborg's response. "Cy, we have to. For Raven." They certainly don't have time for an argument, so Cyborg reluctantly agrees and lowers the speed almost completely.

"Beast Boy, Starfire, look out for incoming asteroids, and Cyborg…let's get home."

Unfortunately, the T-ship was not programmed to go slow at any degree. So through the Asteroid Belt they glided at 60 mph. The radar screen opens up on everyone's monitor and soon, the Titans are diving, barrel rolling, and mostly, screaming. Near the end of their 2 minute trip through the Belt, they're coasting towards an asteroid five times the size of the T-ship. If they stop, they'd be crushed by the other ones floating towards them in slow motion from every side but behind them.

"AAH! I can't look!" Beast Boy yells. Cyborg completes a quick scan on the mammoth space rock and charts a route through the holes and cracks of it. So focused is he, that he forgets to warn the team that they'd by flying through it at top speed. "HOLD ON FOR YOUR LIVES!" BB screams into everyone's ears as the ship suddenly zooms forward. Robin curls his body around Raven's broken one as to keep her from hitting the sides of the compartment as the T-ship becomes a roller coaster once more. Before he knows it, Robin opens his eyes and the Titans are zipping past Mars and smashing through the Earth's atmosphere.

The mood suddenly shifts for all but one Titan as they spot their giant T of a home. No 'Booyah!', No 'Dude! That was awesome!', no 'Great job Cyborg! What would we do without you?' and _certainly_ no snide 'Glad that's over'.

"That was glorious fun! May we initiate the Belt Asteroid Navigation again?" No one answers Starfire's foolish request as the T-ship lands and Robin races toward the Med Bay with Cyborg at his heels and Raven's blood soaking through his uniform.

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Robin's POV

After what seemed like hours, we finally made it to the Med Bay of the Tower and as soon as I laid Raven gently on the white cot, Cyborg began feeding her blood through a tube he stuck in her arm and collecting the needle, medical thread, two sets of scrubs, and a cart with a tray of surgical tools. "Why did you take out two pair-_I'm going to do SURGERY on her?" _I exclaim. What?_ "_I can't do that! I'm not a doctor! I know little more than the basics of medicine!"

Cyborg expertly ties the surgical mask around his head and says, "Which is way more than those goofballs outside." He jerks his head towards the door and locks it when he spies them. "I need your help Robin. You won't be doing anything you can't easily learn okay?" He turns around and pushes a button while I nod pathetically and quickly tie on the light green scrubs over my bloody uniform. A heart monitor beeps to life and Cyborg grabs a syringe marked 'Raven'. He plunges it into the blood bag running into her bloodstream and before I can ask what it is, he says, "Raven's correct dose of anesthetic. You ready?" He doesn't wait for my answer and swiftly grabs a scalpel and creates a large incision on the papery white skin covering Raven's shattered rib cage. Cyborg's gloved hand grasps a small white device that spurts a clear liquid directly onto the cut. It stops bleeding and he opens it wider with sterilized metal…things. They're flat and keep the skin and muscle open so we can see her ribs. Or what used to be ribs. "Oh my god." My lips mumble of their own accord at this atrocity. They literally squeezed her rib cage until it broke and nearly shattered her sternum. What would I give right now to be able to kill them all on my own...

"Fortunately, the ribs didn't splinter, but overlapped and snapped into large enough pieces of bone to glue back together." Cyborg informed me. Looking at the part of her torso right below her breasts, I'm not completely sure if that's good news or not. "Okay Rob, here's where you come in. I'm going to grab the medical glue. When I start to bring the pieces back together, I want you to hold them up and keep your hands still as I glue them."

"What happens if I move them?" Curiosity sucks.

"It'll be a ton of work we don't want to do. So don't. Got it? Good. Come to my side of the bed." Cyborg replies and starts to reassemble the bottom right rib. Most of the parts of bone are near where they should be, but it's still amazing to watch Cyborg pull Rae back together so rapidly. He gets the fairly large bits of the rib back in line and my hands take his place inside her body, so I'm holding the broken rib in place as Cy glues it back together. We work on her diligently, not uttering a word for about an hour and a half. Eventually, her repaired ribcage has lots of leathery looking dried glue where the fractures used to be. Cyborg tells me that as soon as the natural bone repairs itself, the glue will dissolve. Finally,Cy sows her skin shut.

Next, we set the other broken bones (left wrist, right ankle) in place, screw the metal pins in to keep them in the correct position, and put them in a hard cast (black of course). We popped her left shoulder back in its socket without having to cut her open again (phew), put that arm in a sling, and set to work stitching her up. This I know how to do. Cyborg works on his own for the stab wound in her thigh. Personally, I'd rather not watch him pull a bloody knife out of Raven's leg, so I stitch up the other cuts deep enough for sowing. Once more, the old scars on her back gain my attention as the light shines on them. How could she have gotten those?

"Robin! Check it out! Raven's heart beat is almost back to normal." Cyborg gestures toward the monitor as he pulls off the crimson stained scrubs and gloves. I follow his lead when I finish the last cut on her arm and throw them away feeling much less concerned than 5 hours earlier. I smile at the heart monitor and wonder when Raven will wake up.

Cy is standing in front of the large screen full of different charts and stats on Raven's current condition.

"So have you figured out why she's not healing herself?" I ask.

"I'm just about to run a scan on her powers, but I might take awhile so I'm going to get BB and Star. You wanna come?" He walks toward the door and pauses by the keypad.

"No, that's okay. I'll just stay here."

"Figured. Well, might as well make yourself useful and re-bandage the cut on her stomach." He turns his back on me and enters the pass code for the locked exit.

"Cyborg." He looks over his shoulder at me. "Thank you. For saving her; for everything." I'm sincerely grateful.

He smiles at me wordlessly and walks out the door. I turn to Raven's still unconscious body and my eyebrows push together slowly in worry. The anesthetic wore off half an hour ago and she obviously isn't healing herself. My hand finds her cheek and I'm not sure exactly why, but right now, I want to kiss her forehead. Maybe to comfort her…or me. I remind myself that I have a job to do and start un-wrapping the stained gauze over the deep gash in Raven's stomach. With so many injuries, maybe I wouldn't want to wake up either. The new bandage is nicely wrapped over her stitches and this one won't be stained.

"…Surprised it didn't puncture her lung, but she was extremely lucky to live through that." Cyborg explained what her ribs were like to a terrified Beast Boy. Having seemed to have heard all the gory details, I wasn't surprised Starfire was ignoring them. They all walk into the Med Bay and abruptly, the medical computer screen bleeped with the results of the scan on Raven's powers.

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**I know this one wasn't that good, but I hope you liked it. I know I'm not all that good on anything medical, but I did do SOME research on gluing bones together. It's most likely possible by now considering the article I found ( node/14299348?story_id=14299348) was written in 2009. Plus, even if it isn't, Cyborg is cool enough to invent his own or whatever. Please tell me what you think right down there! Review!**

**XOXO~shadow**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow! This story is getting along real well! Person who made me sad for reading and not reviewing: Angelic Toaster. Thanks for the rest of you! I love the reviews you give me and could not be any more grateful for the support. So without further ado, chapter 9!**

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Simultaneously, the boys rush to the computer screen, Starfire floating over, unperturbed and slightly curious. The results are typed in white letters across a black pop up with an error sign next to it.

'Could not locate supernatural abilities of any kind. Are you sure this is the correct subject?'

So shocked is the little changeling, that the only movement he makes is the immense widening of his eyes. Even for the slow reader, he understands what it means.

"Cyborg…how can this..I mean she can't…are you sure the computer scanned her right?" Robin stutters as the awful possibilities race through his mind. Raven without powers?

"Friends? I wish to understand what the strange device has divulged." Starfire asked in earnest.

"My top of the line body scanners say that Raven doesn't have powers, but…I'll take some blood to make sure there isn't something blocking them." Cyborg replied, worried that his little sister could be…left almost defenseless. As Beast Boy left the room when Cyborg pulled out the syringe and Robin went back to hold Raven's hand, nobody noticed the tiny, cruel smirk on Starfire's face as she turned to walk out the Med Bay door.

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Starfire's POV **(lol grammar and spelling error warning)**

"Starfire?"

Robin inquires something of me! I turn my body quickly towards him with a smile on my pretty face. Could it be one of those dates I keep hearing of? Maybe he will even ask me to be his girl-

"Could you maybe…uh,"

"Yes _friend _Robin? Is there something you wish to ask of me?" I say sweetly, swishing my eyelashes up and down. He can't possibly reject a face of the such.

"…change Raven into a hospital gown? Her ripped leotard is pretty bloody and, well you're the only other girl on the team so…." At even the simple mention of the demon girl he's been giving so much of the attention _I deserve _to, the smile transforms into a scowl. She is a clorbag valbernelk of the worst sort!

"Please Star?" Robin states with the eyes of the puppy and I cannot say no to. I'll do it...but only so that Robin may think that I am like, nice.

"Of course I will Robin. You should probably exit the Bay of Med now." I wink and fly slowly over Robin's hair that is spiky. He walks quickly out the door, leaving the gown of hospitals on the chair that is beside _its _bed.

Now to Raven. The witch of ugly lies injured as I rip her black, gunky leortad that remains on her white body. I snatch the gown off of the icky chair and wrap it around her disgusting grebnaks **(from episode 'Fear itself')**, grabbing her arms and pulling them through the holes; the one with the blue wrap that makes her arm bent is a tiny challenge. Pushing her so that she lays on her side by gripping her heavily bandaged shoulder tightly, I swiftly tie the cotton strings down her backside. I let go of her shoulder and she falls back to her position of original. There,ugh, done! I fly to my room to wash my hands. EW!

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Robin's POV

Starfire storms out of the Med Bay mumbling something about grebnaks and vaberneks or something like that. I let her go. I don't want her to look at me like _that_ again. I turn my head away from the door and look at Raven again. How am I going to tell her that the scanners didn't pick any of her powers up? What if she lost them? Would she still want to be a Titan? I sigh and sit by her bed.

"Raven, I don't know if you can hear me, but I miss you. I don't know why you're not waking up and preventing me from gazing at those beautiful violet eyes you've got. Are you in any pain? I hope not, Rae. You've got a lot of injuries and I was so scared when I saw you down in that cave… I thought I was going to lose my most valuable team mate…and friend."

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Cyborg walks back into the Med Bay to check on Raven and to see if the blood tests have results yet. Robin fell asleep by her bed. Unfortunately, he hasn't gotten around to having the blood scanners to alert him on his arm rather than checking them manually. It's because the Titans don't usually get so sick that they need to have blood tests done.

He misses Raven already though it's only been around 40 hours. Just recently, he'd been arguing with Beast Boy about dinner and known that it would have been solved much sooner had his little sister been there. Raven's heartbeat is better, but still hasn't reached the normal 50-70 beats per minute, which concerns him. He walks past his leader. He's so obviously whipped, it would be comical…if anything were comical now that Raven's not waking up.

Cyborg types in the pass-code for the monitor and looks up Raven's blood scans…will be finished in a minute. He goes to wake up Robin.

After Robin's been awoken by a shake to the shoulder (Robin would have subconsciously punched him out any other way), the two check the blood scans.

A live picture of the blood sample Cyborg took pops up on the screen and Robin calls the others into the room before Cyborg explains what it means.

With a solemn look in his single gray eye, the Cyborg tells the others the results. "In simple terms, well, just look up at the screen here. Do you see how most of the blood cells have black spots on them? They've apparently been infected with a toxin…a venom probably given to her from the creatures we encountered back on the planet she was…_injured_ on. She's got quite a few bite marks from them and they probably did that on purpose. The venom is the most likely cause for the loss of her powers, but we'll hope that Raven can explain it better i-when she wakes up."

Starfire suddenly squeals in fear. "I have tiny marks of bite on me as well! Will I lose my powers?"

Cyborg sweat drops as Beast Boy grows nervous too. "Guys, if the venom were to affect you, it probably would have already. Besides, if Raven had been given even a minute of her powers after she was bitten she probably would have been able to fly away from them."

"Oh."

"Oh."

Suddenly, they all hear a slight moan coming from the hospital bed.

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Robin's POV

I rush to the bed and take Raven's hand as soon as I hear her make noise. Everyone crowds around me as she makes a slight whimpering noise and turns her head a little.

"Raven?" Cy, Beast Boy and I all speak at the same time.

"Raven? Can you hear me?" I plead. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear what I'm saying." We all hold our breaths, waiting for some type of response.

The slightest touch of movement in my hand.

The slightest smile from Cy and I.

Her eyelids flutter.

"Starfire. Dim the lights." Normally I would have yelled but I didn't want to scare her. The lights dim and

Raven's eyelids fly open, revealing the stunning violet orbs I've longed for all this time.

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**CLIFFY! YAY! REVIEW with your opinions and thoughts on anything to do with the story, for it is HIGHLY appreciated. Love ya!**

**XOXO~shadow**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yay! Chap 10! Nothing to really say today… except to thank you for reading!**

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Raven POV

Blurry, colorful figures; there are four. They surround me. Just like…

My eyes dart across the room seeking…something. Anything. They spot metal; shiny? They aren't supposed to…

Scalpel! Loud voices! Nowhere and everywhere, in my head and others familiar…

"_Raven! Are you okay?"_

Beep Beep Beep

"_**quickly—last one—finally"**_

_Beep BEEP beep_

"…_Heart Rate!"_

Hurts! Everything… move away! No! _**hurts**_! The figures move. One in particular, closer, louder…less scary. Silence.

Ringing in my ears. "_Will_ Raven be _the ok_ay_?" _

_**Whisper.**_

Whispers!

"_Your turn." "Your turn!" "Your" "TURN" "…turn." _

**BEEP!**

Pain! Black again.

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Robin takes another deep breath, trying to calm down after what just happened. Cyborg had escorted BB and Starfire out of the room as soon as Raven's heart began to pump faster out of fear. The boys had tried to calm her down and keep her from moving because of her injuries, but it was like she didn't even see them or recognized them. She'd screamed words no one understood and then for a moment, everything was quiet. Even the heart monitor. Then Starfire whispered and Hell broke loose once more. Then Raven passed out.

"She probably passed out from excessive stress or pain. Maybe even fear. But whatever that was, let's hope it doesn't happen again. I'll give her some nitrous oxide to calm her down if she wakes up like that again. Robin? Did you understand a word she was sayin'? Oh and I think she might have broken a stitch on her right side can you check?" Cyborg rattled on about Raven's stats from off of the screen as Robin paced and then went to check the stitches.

Cyborg was right. She did break a stitch, but the bandages were stained….black.

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**Horribly, HORRIBLY short I know! Im so evil! I've just been having some stupid writer's block, but I promise I'll still update soon. Hope you liked Raven's disorientation up there and once more, pleeeaaaseee review what you think, how you feel and what you like from the story thanks!**

**Xoxo~shadow**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chap 11 yay! Loves ya! I may not have gotten as many reviews as I wished for but I probably deserved it for giving you such a short chappie last time…**

**Response to Guest: Dude! How are you so psychic? You are almost freaking reading my mind. You guessed on the torture and that's exactly what I was going to do anyway, and now, you're almost completely right! I know where this story's going I just don't know how to write it the right way to get it there. Man I don't know how u are sooo reading my mind! **

**Anyway, here's chap 11!**

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"Cyborg! Get over here!" Robin yells, voice slightly strained and concerned.

Cyborg rushes right over and immediately notices her blood. He doesn't say a word. He's never seen anything like this before. But then again, with a half-demon, it seems anything can happen.

"Cyborg?" Robin's freaking out trying to staunch the…blood? and wondering what could be going through Cy's head as he stands there frozen.

"I'm…pretty sure the venom has spread throughout her whole body. I'm going to take some more blood just to make sure." The cybernetic teen paced toward the syringes and stuck one into the inside of her wrist. "Robin, try to wake her up. She might know something about this. Oh, and stitch her back up."

Robin set about the task immediately as Cyborg pours the ebony blood into the analyzer.

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Raven POV

Stuck. That's all I can think about right now. I'm stuck here in this dark place and it hurts. Then everything shakes like there's an earthquake. I don't fall but I don't stand either. I'm nothing and yet I feel everything. See igles and blood, Robin and Cyborg, sparkling blue eyes and scalpels that are bloody and shiny all at the same time. Everything shakes again and everything hurts even more. My eyes roll around in my sockets and my eyelids want to open. I don't know if I want to wake up or not. The closer I get to consciousness, the more pain I feel rip through me.

But the side of me that knows I'm not some little victim crying for help knows I have to get up sometime. I have to explain what happened. I can feel my right shoulder now, shaken gently and repeatedly. Something pleasant shoots to my heart from his fingertips. Out of all of this pain, that will push me to open my eyes.

And now I do. Behind my eyelids, they flutter until I see his white mask in a dim room. They shut again tightly. It's hard to breath and his voice echoes in my ringing ears.

"Raven. Can you listen to my voice Raven? Focus. Can you talk? Can you move for me?"

Short, raspy bubbles of oxygen slide past my throat as I clench my jaw against the pain resounding, throbbing, pounding and stinging. Everywhere. Yeeeaah my jaw's sore.

Cyborg walked up behind the Boy Wonder and I attempt speech, but all that comes out is a garbled, hoarse groan. Slowly, I open my eyes again and they lock onto the vast whiteness of Robin's mask. Concentrate. I swallow and ignore the pain that threatens to drag me into nothingness again. Cough. Silence resonates through the room. Cyborg promptly dashes out of the Med Bay, probably to alert the others. Why they'd care I'm not sure. Robin doesn't seem to notice, but if he does, he doesn't care. He keeps his eyes on mine. At least I think he does. I can feel the concern, intense worry and slight curiosity rolling off of him in waves. I breathe as deep as I can without feeling too much resistance and a whisper breathes past my lips. "Robin…how..did …you find…me?" It sounds reasonable to say right now.

"First of all, I'm so glad you're awake and speaking. I missed you Rae, and you've got some explaining to do. I was so scared when I saw you in that cave. I thought you were… well I thought you were going to die Raven and nobody understood why you weren't healing yourself! We went looking for you when we found each other on a planet that was right next to the one you landed on. We found these little pink-eyed creatures with your cloak and Cy tracked your heartbeat until we found a hole that led to an underground cave with so much blood and dead bodies… it was horrifying. The team killed the um things that had apparently tortured you"—here I wince—"while I cut you down and Cyborg and I tried to stop the blood flow after we ran to the T-ship. There was so much…Raven I thought you were going to die right there in my arms and… well the rest you can probably figure out."

Robin, my Boy Wonder almost teared up right in front of me. I must have been such a mess. I can't believe I put him through that; he must have been horrified. I swallow again and whisper once more. "I'm Sorry." Robin is about to object when Cyborg walks in with Starfire and Beast Boy.

"Can she talk?"Beast Boy wonders. I decide it isn't worth the effort for a sarcastic remark.

"Yeah. Raven, can you please try to explain what happened to you? We're pretty…well, confused about some of your stats and your condition. We need your help figuring out what's wrong with you." Robin looked back at me. I take another "deep" breath and begin my horrific tale.

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Cyborg's POV

"…These things chasing me were igles. Vicious little demons that feed off of fear and pain. They were banned from the Underworld many years…ago and now it seems they teleport…from there to Earth and back to gather tools….and any slightly demon people they can find. It's rare and when they do find one…they keep….them locked up and use them multiple times to…well eat. When they found me, they didn't need the others. They rendered my powers useless with their venom and knocked me out with a hammer. Need I say…more?" We all listen to Raven's horrid account of what happened to her in terrified awe. These igles had taken her powers away and now, their venom had spread through her bloodstream completely. "Well, …you guys know what they…did to me." Raven then looks down at her numerous bandages and frowns, ashamed in herself for being weak. That's what she's thinking at least. We all know how strong she really was and is. I can tell it's a struggle even to speak. I would give my poor girl some painkillers but I don't want to knock her out until I tell her about her blood and what I plan on doing.

I look at her bed and Robin's holding her hand in both of his while Starfire- trying to hide her obvious jealousy- and BB stand on her other side. I walk to the foot of her bed and inform her, "Raven, those igles really did a number on you. Almost completely shattered your ribcage. Robin here helped me put you back together, but… it took awhile. Just ask B. The main thing is that, well I did a scan on your powers and they didn't pick up anything. Like you never had any in the first place. The venom seems to be the cause but I can't be sure. Rae, it's spread throughout your bloodstream completely and…your blood is black. We can see it in your veins now." I may have a way to fix her, but I want to wait to see if she knew this would happen.

"Thank you. ALL of you for, finding me and saving my life." She wouldn't make eye contact, but I smiled anyway. Same old Raven, trying to hide her weak spots. Some things never change. "Yes I know my powers are gone for the time being….and yes..it's because of the venom. Unfortunately, without them I …can't get rid of this and I don't know how I can get rid of it considering it…just spreads to every blood cell...it touches." She looks to me hopefully as the other Titans fret over a powerless Raven. I say fret because Star doesn't seem too worried. More like…slight joy.

"Analyzing the venom in my computer, I've found a way to make each blood cell immune to the venom. So if we do dialysis and add the antidote, you should get your powers back correct?" Best idea I ever came up with. I knew I was right when she smiled.

"When…do we start?" she breathed.

"Right now, Raven you're a bit too..- umm fragile to take so much blood at one time just yet and I still need to make some adjustments to the dialysis machine so that it can also add the antivenin. The infected blood still seems to do its job. I mean it brings oxygen to different parts of your body. The only thing is that it's blocking is your powers. As soon as some of your major cuts heal and you gain a little strength back, I'll start you on dialysis, promise." I know Raven hates to be called weak and even in a cot she can send a mean death glare…

* * *

Robin's POV

Knowing Raven's going to be okay is like a giant weight lifted from my chest and I can breathe again. Raven will be alright.

The other Titans had left the Med Bay soon after the discussion. Cyborg asked if she wanted morphine and she said she'd rather not fall asleep again so soon. Cyborg promised to be back to give it to her in 15 minutes. He can read her like an open book.

So here we sit, as I talk to her about when I asked Starfire to put her in a hospital gown and after glaring for a little we laugh like there's no tomorrow until Rae has to calm down to be able to breathe again.

* * *

No one noticed the plotting green eyes staring with anger and jealousy at the laughing birds from outside the Med Bay. Gone in a flash when Cyborg returns, but plotting nonetheless…

* * *

**Like it huh? Was it boring? I tried to make it good ,but it's hard when you've gotta tie up this many loose ends. Well in any case, review! Inspire me and tell me what you liked or disliked or just whatever! **

**Thanks,**

**XOXO~shadow**


	12. Chapter 12

**Im dying to write all the time.. I must be obsessed lol. Okay well here's chap 12 (finally SORRY)omg so excited! People who made me sad by reading and not reviewing: CaptainSparky44. And once again Guest, you have amazed me with your psychic powers (but ur prediction comes later) it's fluffy time! Here ya go! RxR! Lol I just realized that has two meanings. RobinxRaven. ReadxReview. I'm stupid.**

* * *

Raven POV

"_Obliged to help you contain your powers at ALL times."_

"_It's for your own good."_

"_Arella please don't make me go back! Not again! I'm 13 I can control them I promise!" Pleading violet eyes stare helplessly up at her mother as they pull her away._

"_The tears in your eyes and expression in your voice tells a different story Raven. I expect better from you this time." She replied coldly to her daughter, struggling in the arms of two monks._

_Everything fades away until there is simply darkness and voices. _

"_You remember how to behave child. No powers, no weakness, no emotion. You are older and stronger since our last session. Consequently, the level shall be increased." The Azarathanian circled her like a vulture before it dug into an old carcass, watching as the other monks tied the terrified, purple haired girl into the ropes into an X like they always do. She knows better than to utter any sound at all, instead concentrating on taming the bristling monster inside fighting to get out._

_The level of "Azarathanian Power Control Training" had been too high for her tiny body to handle._

_They'd used whips and torches this time._

_50 lashes to her back. Burns on her legs. And the usuals: cuts, bruises, dislocated or sprained bones._

_She could feel her powers trying to mend her as some of the skin ripped off her shoulder blade sowed itself back together and scarred."Ah, ah ah, my little Black Bird. NO powers!" The one in the black robe reprimanded her while sliding a knife up her forearm, sadistic smirk only slightly visible under the cover of his hood. Raven tried so hard. She truly did. Pulled with all her might at the tendrils of blue and black screaming and pushing her barriers to the limit despite the worst pain of her life. How could she not scream? Her mother will be so disappointed. This pain was ONLY considered comparable to…_

"…_Raven…Raven! Ra_VEN!"

My eyes snap open as my body tenses and instinctually attempts to pull me into a seated position on the cot I'm lying in. Robin's restraining, gloved hand pressing on my uninjured shoulder stops me from sitting upright on the mattress as his mask curves to the position of his creasing eyebrows. Everything head to toe flares in sudden pain thanks to my stupid reaction. I work to keep it out of my expression, but for a guy with a mask on 24/7, Robin's much too observant. _His_ face on the other hand, is a great big obvious billboard of concern.

"Raven? Are you alright?"

I'm getting seriously tired of that question.

"After the morphine wore off you began to whimper and squirm as you slept. I've been trying to wake you for 5 minutes. Was it another nightmare?"

"Yeah. Thanks for waking me up…" I sigh. Ever since that mind meld, we occasionally witness each other's particularly strong subconscious visions. He's probably remembering the night terrors I had too many of when my daddy dearest was on his way…ugh.

**(A/N:shut up! in this universe "Haunted" was like he 4****th**** episode in season 1)**

Suddenly, the alarm beeped loudly and bathed the Tower in red periodically. Robin didn't move. I raise an eyebrow at him wondering why he isn't joining the footsteps of our teammates out the door. The alarm stopped blaring.

He smirks and explains, "I talked to Cyborg while you were asleep and we agreed that one Titan should stay here with you every time there's a crime we need to handle. I go first, then Cy, Beast Boy and then Starfire."

"What? None of you think I can take care of myself? I'm a super hero for a _reason!" _ I yelled at him hoarsely which didn't properly emphasize the snappy implications of my tone of voice. Did I mention how much I hate this?

Robin chuckled. He chuckled! "Cyborg warned me you wouldn't like this. Raven look at yourself. You're covered in injuries, most of which will take at least a month to heal, the venom in your system took your powers and you're in constant pain. Villains will eventually notice that you aren't coming with us on missions and will either be curious enough to try and find you or will hear somehow that you're ill. Someone's got to be here to protect you at all times, no matter how much you hate being considered weak. Trust me, I know better than anyone how much that enrages you, but right now you are the most fragile member on this team and you need to accept that." Robin concludes his little speech with a look on his face that somehow manages to appear concerned and assertive at the same time. Or maybe that's just me feeling his emotions….

"Okay you _seriously_ think those villains out there will be 'curious' enough to come snooping at the Titans Tower to find me? Sure they'll be wondering why the Teen Titans are suddenly a three person team when they go out to missions, but with Cyborg's security system I'd be fine. Besides, it's not like you guys take that long anyway." I'm not so important that the _villains _will come looking for me.

"Raven, you honestly don't see how valuable you are to m-this team? You're extremely clever and observant, your healing powers are definitely useful when anyone gets hurt, and your shields are sometimes the only thing keeping us from utter destruction. That's not even including how amazing you are during combat. I'm pretty sure any criminal smart enough to see that would want you eliminated and I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen while the others are out."

I can feel how sincere Robin is saying this and he can't possibly think I didn't catch that slip of the tongue. I haven't forgotten that he loves me, but now that I'm thinking straight, I keep trying to convince myself it's not true. This could cause endless problems if revealed and I hope he sees that. I hate the fact that I can't say anything either, but it's better we don't …act on this…

I sigh and turn my head away from my leader, not really able to disagree with his accurate statement or watch him look at me…like that.

"Something wrong Rae?"

Why do I _always_ forget he can feel my emotions too?

"No." Grr. Even without the mental bond, he'd know that's a lie. I responded too quickly and he once told me that whenever I lie, my voice gets lower. He knows me too well.

He tilts his head and frowns in that sarcastic way that screams 'I don't believe you." And sometimes "reeeaaaallly?" I use that one a lot.

I glare.

He puts his hand on my cheek…again. I let him…just this once…hopefully. ONLY because the electric shock sent through my body distracts me from the constant agony.

"You know I can tell when there's something bothering you, right? We have a bond and you're my best …friend remember? Now please tell me the truth."

How could I deny him?

"I just…hate this. Being stuck in this boring room. Lying here like a pansy with all its stupid petals ripped off and they won't grow back any time soon. I hate this cot, I hate this IV, I _hate_ igles. I just _despise_ this whole situation I can't do anything about!" Well, it's not a lie…

"Why don't I entertain you then?"

* * *

Robin's POV

I leave her side for a minute to grab one of my favorite books from my immaculate bookshelf. When I get back to Raven's bedside, I hold in my hands a book I know we both enjoy. She turns those bright, violet eyes toward me, an obvious question, and I feel a fraction of the pain I know she must be enduring every minute she's awake, but at least there's a little bit of happiness I hope I instilled in her.

I read the cover, "Edgar Allan Poe's Complete Poetical Works. I hope you don't mind me reading some of my favorites?" I know the answer to that question.

I love that smile.

"It was many and many a year ago,  
In a kingdom by the sea,  
That a maiden there lived whom you may know  
By the name of Annabel Lee;  
And this maiden she lived with no other thought  
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,  
In this kingdom by the sea;  
But we loved with a love that was more than love-  
I and my Annabel Lee;  
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven  
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,  
In this kingdom by the sea,  
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling  
My beautiful Annabel Lee;  
So that her highborn kinsman came  
And bore her away from me,  
To shut her up in a sepulchre  
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,  
Went envying her and me-  
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,  
In this kingdom by the sea)  
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,  
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love  
Of those who were older than we-  
Of many far wiser than we-  
And neither the angels in heaven above,  
Nor the demons down under the sea,  
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul  
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams  
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;  
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes  
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;  
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side  
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,  
In the sepulchre there by the sea,  
In her tomb by the sounding sea."

In my mind, Raven's name was on the page where Annabel's should have been. I ignored it for now...

* * *

Raven POV

This poem reminded me slightly of our own situation…Of all the poems he could have chosen. I mean, the Titan's Tower by the sea, mutual love unapproved of, I almost died… but this ran through my mind for only a millisecond for the stare we hold now...i don't realize how close we are until I can feel our breaths exchange…then we hear a high pitched squeaky whine launching into the room dressed in skimpy, plum purple.

"FRIENDS! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN TO UP?"

**I lose myself when I'm reading or writing. Like, I forget that I am just a girl sitting at a computer. I imagine the scene in my head, I imagine Raven being tortured, I see Robin comforting her and being the coolest superhero ever and I love it. Anything can happen in a story, and if you lose yourself in one - that's the most amazing feeling.~ stolen mostly from OnlyHurtInside's author note that I completely agree with.**

**SO FLUFF! Did you guys like the sappy side of Robbie *slap* ahem..Robin? was it too OOC?**

**Okay question: do you guys think Raven's powers are tied directly to her powers or can anyone be an empath? cuz i know she lost her powers, but do you think she should still be able to read the whole team's emotions?**

**As always REVIEW! I DON'T CARE HOW LONG AGO I POSTED OR PUBLISHED OR UPDATED, I STILL APPRECIATE EVERY ONE!**

**XOXO~shadow**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 coming at you straight from Carolina! Yeah. People who read and didn't review and made me sad: VaMpIrERaVeN117, .Mel.4253, Festus104,** ** and smbee6. If you read something you should be glad to be able to show ur appreciation to the author right? Especially if it gets you the next chapter quicker. CSEES/NotPsychicGuest, I have no doubt in my head that you are psychic. You read my mind! Either this story is predictable or you're freaking amazing! I was thinking about doing that, but I'm not sure right now+ you're the only one who responded to my question so yeah Raven can feel others emotions still. Anyway, RxR Love ya!**

* * *

Raven POV

Our heads pull away from each other like repelling magnets. He's so shocked that it shows on his normally neutral features. My face on the other hand, scrunches up in pain for my head had fallen back onto the pillow and intensified my severe headache.

When I glance at Starfire's crimson head, I realize what Robin and I were going to do and heat rushed into my cheeks for an entirely different reason than Star's. She looks like steam is about to rush out of her ears as if we're in a cartoon.** (A/N: had to add that lol) **

Beast Boy and Cyborg walk into the Med Bay now and judging by the alien's face, he shoots Robin a knowing smile. Suddenly, Cyborg stares at me in confusion and almost matches Beast Boy's expression. I assume Starfire is at a loss for English words, her jealousy almost tangible. Cyborg walks toward me and seems to realize something as his shoulders slump and he frowns, obviously concerned. Robin turns toward him to avoid Star's glare and stops scratching the back of his head like he always does when he's embarrassed.

"Something wrong Cy? How'd the mission go?" Robin asks.

"It took a while longer than usual, but we got on alright. I'm just worried about Raven. She was blushing for some reason, but I just wasn't prepared to remember again how sick she is. Her cheeks turned black instead of red. I really want to start dialysis, but I know she's not ready yet."

Robin sighs and I clench my jaw in frustration. Ouch. I hate how they're so worried about me. I can't do anything about it and I thoroughly despise feeling powerless (in more than one way).

Starfire storms out of the Med Bay. I wish _I_ could leave. I long for my cloak and leotard. Something familiar in this bright, boring, white room.

"Just start it already! I feel fine and I want my powers back as soon as possible." I growl.

Robin stares at me in alarm.

"Raven your—" Cyborg attempts to change my mind but I won't be swayed.

"I. Will. Be. _Fine."_ I snarled, glaring harshly at them. I've had enough of this confinement and the sooner I get out, the better.

Reluctantly, Cyborg trudges to the improved dialysis machine and rolls it towards the bed. Beast Boy leaves immediately. He hates needles. Robin tries to convince me to wait at least 48 hours longer while Cy unhooks the IV, but his words don't sway me either. I tighten my lips as the needle stabs through my black vein. He grabs another tube and needle attached to the other side of the white machine and pushes it through the inky vein on my left hand .It was a little harder on that one because of the cast, but he made finding the vein easy. I wait for Cyborg, my brother (I consider him a sibling) to push the green button. He hesitates slightly.

"What? Are you afraid it won't work?" I snap. Rude is loving this. Though I don't enjoy hurting my friends, sometimes they just aggravate me too much.

"No, it'll work the way it should, but you—"I stop Cy mid-sentence once more.

"Then push the button."_ Click._

Robin's anxiety at the whole situation is rising and it's really getting to me. I can feel the blood being pulled from me and my hands start to shake the slightest bit.

"Raven are you sure you want to do this?" Robin asks, glancing nervously at my hands and then the machine.

I shoot him a dark look and he shuts his lips and relaxes slightly, seeing nothing else wrong with me than my quivering fingers. Cyborg however, has his metallic hand poised uneasily by the emergency stop button, shifting his weight to either side.

The tips of my fingers start to feel numb and I ignore it. Suddenly, crimson blood streams down the tube attached to my left hand and into my body. The foreign feeling of blood flowing into me instead of out, is strangely painful. Not so bad that I show_ obvious_ signs of the throbbing sensation, but it is pretty bothersome. I scowl and rub my thumbs against the ends of my other fingers as the numbness starts to climb.

"Oh, Raven, if you feel pain when the immune blood goes into your left hand, it's probably the venom trying to infect the new cells. It shouldn't be dangerous, but if it gets to be too much, tell me." Cyborg comments, interrupting the almost-silence. I nod slightly and blink rapidly, trying to clear the sudden blurriness of the room.

Suddenly, my left arm flares in an internal fire that overwhelms my self-control. I'm such a _wimp_. Involuntarily, my head swings sideways and a loud grunt slams past my bared teeth. My right hand forms a tight fist and my nails dig into my palm while the needle there stings. I hate it when I'm wrong.

"Raven?!" Robin yells, grasping my right shoulder.

I hear a click from the dialysis machine and I force my eyes open. Cyborg had pushed the red button and now all of my blood, red and black comes rushing to my left hand. Crap.

It plunges into my arm and I let a whimper slip. Robin's mask is stretching to its limit as his eyes widen in panic. Frantically, he looks to Cyborg, pleading with his expression for my safety.

Robin:"Raven, hold on okay?"—My eyes shut and I wince—Cyborg:" You're going to be—"

I sink again into the blackness.

_The purple eyed girl should never have been walking alone. Azarath at night is a dangerous place. Especially for her. Her mother said that her people had always respected her even knowing what she was destined to become. That's a load of crap. Most just avoided her until…one didn't. _

_He didn't care who she was or what destiny she attained, she was apparently attractive to him. Pacing slowly from the Monk Temple on a deserted street, the twelve year old was easy prey. Not just to satisfy his hunger for pleasure, but also to take out all his frustrations on. All of his victims were too young to know any tracking spells to curse him with and none had seen his face. Not even clever little Raven. He was exceptional with dark and light spells. None of those girls ever stood a chance. _

_She'd noticed his tall shadowy frame seemingly materializing out of thin air behind her as soon as he'd come. She wished she knew that spell. The monks had said that in a few months, since she was such a quick learner, they'd teach her to fully manipulate her soul self. A few months too late unfortunately._

_Raven's tiny legs carried her into a faster walk towards home as the figure creeped closer, turning her feelings of envy to feelings of slight anxiety. She knows she shouldn't be feeling anything , but the whole point is not to let them overwhelm her. She's fine for now. Up ahead there's an alley. She tells herself if he doesn't change course, she'll fly home in a hurry. He doesn't get any closer, but the alley is only a few steps away now though the man had passed plenty of other roads he could have taken. Raven has always been quite observant and she knew for a fact she didn't have any neighbors that looked like him. _

_She concentrated and gradually levitated until she was high enough to truly soar without the annoyance of copper buildings in her way. As she was about to zoom forward, a blast of painful energy slammed against her back and she began to fall. She tried to concentrate again, but she felt nothing pulling her up. Her violet eyes grew wide and then she crashed on her back, knocking the wind out of her tiny body and bruising her back severely. Not a peep was heard from the young demoness, for she was used to far worse. The man was standing above her and she stared at him with a blank face though she was squealing inside. He was dressed in all black, and he wore a ski mask that only showed his icy, blue eyes. Suddenly, she striked him with a weak ball of ebony energy and started to run (he'd disabled her ability to fly with a temporary spell). She was quick and light on her feet, but he'd had years of practice chasing children. She was like the others; never stood a chance._

_He caught up with her immediately and trapped her in a gray bubble of power._

"_Why?!" she yelled, feeling this was the only question that may possibly let her argue her way out of this._

"_Why else little Raven? Because I feel like it." The stranger then promptly lifted the bubble containing the girl and smashed her against the alley wall, breaking the sphere mid-flight. Raven fell to the ground in a coughing, white and gray heap. He stalked towards her leisurely, picked her up by her storm cloud gray cloak, and punched her stomach repeatedly until he heard a rib crack. This time, she whimpered, shattering a nearby lamppost bulb. She didn't give up though. She pulled back her little fist, mustered up as much power as she could and launched it at her nameless attacker's face. His head was thrown back vigorously at the unexpected blow, but he did not drop her, even as she squirmed and kicked. He pulled his head back up slowly and menacingly, narrowing his nearly white eyes to angry slits._

"_Foolish little bird. You only brought your suffering to you swifter." He threw her to the ground and pulled out a small, yet lethal looking knife. She froze. He crouched down and harshly held her wrists together with one hand, the other holding the pocketknife to her throat. She didn't want to die, but if it meant the safety of the universe, maybe it would be worth it. What she received was much worse than she ever imagined. If she struggled, he pressed the knife harder to her neck. Evan Gromth raped her that night and she'd never so desperately wished for death before. Her screams rang unheard because of another of his spells and she ran alone to her house that night, white leotard stained red. Flashes of information on the psychopath she'd received when he'd been caught replaced the horrid memory of stolen virginity. Raven remembered thinking, 'I was never pure in the first place…so why am I still crying?'_

The unmistakable, pungent stink of unwashed socks and moldy gunk rolled into one revolting 'Stankball' made my eyelids fly open and tear up slightly. Surprisingly, this disgusting ball is better than staying asleep.

"Get it away if you want to live." I murmured, unable to identify the cursed being past the greenish…thing.

I hear my brother's deep chuckle as his metal hand places the "mother of stink" on the bedside table next to Edgar's poem book. It's a disgrace to Edgar's record of geniusness, but before I can object to the atrocity, I notice his absence.

"Where's Robin?" I lock my eyes on Cy's single gray one.

He smiles again and says, "Relax Raven, the other Titans are off on another mission. Slade this time. So it's my turn to stay here and protect you. Even from bastard rapists, sadistic monks, and demon daddies. Which was it this time?"

I sigh and mumble, "_Bastard_ rapist…" Cyborg is the only one on the team aware of every time I truly screamed. Before joining the Teen Titans, everyone has to have a full body scan taken for safety reasons. Of course, it was Cyborg who reviewed the results. He'd noticed the signs of abuse and asked me about them. The team would have to know if there was someone after me. I'd tried to ward him off by avoiding the request for an explanation and repeatedly telling him that there was no one coming to get me. Eventually, I came to trust him and decided to end the uneasiness he always got around me by telling him about the scars on my back and my lack of hymen. It was done in a private, unused room and a sound-proofing spell for good measure. After a few of my infamous graphic death threats, Cyborg swore to never, under any circumstance, tell anyone about my past weaknesses. To this day, that oath still stands and that has built the trust between us immensely.

"I can't believe so many people could ignore your sweet heart. Much less hurt you! One of those monks should have walked you home or something." Cyborg ranted shaking his head in annoyance.

"Most didn't really care about me. Some were neutral towards me and taught me spells, but they never wanted to compliment me or form any sort of bond with me because of the fact that I had to get used to being unemotional. The others though, _volunteered_ to teach me control in the most vicious way. They told me they were helping me, but Cy, I think they did it because they could." I confide in him solemnly.

He takes a deep breath, and looks at me not with the unwelcome pity I expected, but the genuine concern of an older brother worried about his younger sister. Out of the blue, Cyborg smirks at me and adds, "You know you're going to have to tell Robin soon right?"

"I know, I just don't want to…I guess I'll just wait until he asks me himself…" He's constantly beside me, and though he's great at comforting by simply being in the room, he'll soon notice the inevitable nightmares becoming more frequent.

"Tell Robin what?" I had _not_ noticed Robin's footsteps or the sliding of the Med Bay door until he was in the room. How unlike me… Cy gulps and I dig swiftly through my mind for something useful to say.

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**I know it's not that good of a cliffy, but I made it pretty long so I hoped you guys liked it! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! LOVE YA!**

**XOXO~shadow**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 is here! People who made me sad by reading and not reviewing:** **Melliepoo, XxEriaChanxX, realprincesszelda, Zonta, and Emmi30307. Why guys?**

**Anyway, sorry about the really late update. You might have to get used to this considering high school takes up a lot of my time…sigh* I love this story but writer's block has been bothering me as well. Hope you like this long chappie:**

* * *

Raven POV

Robin narrows his eyes, or rather, his mask at our almost identical masks of panic. Cyborg glanced at my frantic expression and knew I wasn't ready to tell the truth just yet.

"Oh! I was going to get Raven to tell you what happened with the dialysis machine since you had to leave for the mission before I could explain. _But,_ since I'm here, I might as well." Cyborg rambled.

NICE SAVE. I'll have to thank him later.

"Right. What did happen?" Robin appears to buy it and moves closer to my bed. He still harbors doubtful feelings, but is too curious about the dialysis fiasco to outwardly show his suspicion.

"Basically, her body's been through a lot of trauma and reacted as if she were losing way more blood than she really was. Also, the venom was tryin' to infect the immune blood cells harshly, causing Raven excessive pain. I'll adjust the dialysis machine to add pain killers _after"—_he stares at me meaningfully— "your body is _off_ high alert."

I avert my eyes from his accusing expression.

"Anyway, I'll leave you birds and uh, add some anesthetic to the dialysis machine…" Cyborg leaves the room with a high sense of pride. Could he know—

Robin walks closer to my increasingly uncomfortable cot and sits in the previously occupied, wheeled chair.

* * *

Robin's POV

"This place really needs some decoration, doesn't it?" I think aloud, my eyes wandering around the dull, cloud-colored room.

"You just noticed?" She scorned it sarcastically.

"I never really thought about it." I laugh.

"Why do you stay in here anyway, if it's so boring?" Her eyebrows furrow gently in query. I always found that cute, ever since I met Raven . Though I'd never tell her.

"To keep you company."

"You of all people should know I'm alone more often than not." She countered. Did she want me to leave? No.

"I of all people also know that when you're not meditating,— which you don't seem to do very often these days— you long for someone to come to talk to you." This I know to be true because I'm usually the one that makes that longing disappear.

"Quiet." She quips, but I see the tiniest smile on her small lips.

"Anyway, why don't I read to get your mind off of our uninteresting surroundings?"

The smile widens of course.

When I turn to grab the thick volume of Poe's work, I find Cy's version of extreme smelling salts rotting next to Edgar's book. "Now who in their right literary mind would place the 'mother of all stink' next to Edgar Allan Poe's poems?" Goal: Raven's laughter.

The tinkling of Rae's short, contagious snicker rings clear in the Med Bay. Mission Accomplished.

I lift the grotesque creation, grateful for my gloves, and toss it into the metal trash bin in the corner of the space. I smirk at Raven's beautiful smile, remove my contaminated gloves and reach for the book as her brightening, violet eyes stare at me expectantly.

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—

Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Nameless _here_ forevermore.

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating

"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—

This it is and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you"—here I opened wide the door;—

Darkness there and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"—

Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—

"'Tis the wind and nothing more!"

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,

"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,

Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

Much I marveled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

With such name as "Nevermore."

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing farther then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—

Till I scarcely more than muttered "Other friends have flown before—

On the morrow _he_ will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before."

Then the bird said "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—

Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore

Of 'Never—nevermore'."

But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;

Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,

But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,

_She_ shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.

"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee

Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—

On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—

Is there—_is_ there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting—

"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, _still_ is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted—nevermore!

"You know, I'm pretty sure that raven was either a figment of his demented imagination, or some curious, insanely smart, new species that doesn't have to eat…" I comment. Edgar really was kind of crazy.

"I'm almost positive it was the latter." She replies.

"Isn't it strange how the realm inside that pretty little head of yours is called 'Nevermore'?" I notice this and wonder…

"Actually, that's its namesake. I read this poem a lot when I was younger, especially when I received my mind mirror."

"Is that where your name came from too?"

"No." She smirks.

"Then where—"

"My mother never told me why she named me that. It might have been because my soul self projects itself as a raven. Every Azarathanian has a unique projection based on their personality."

"When was the first time it…projected itself? That you remember." I ask, curious about her past that she never seems to mention. Then again, only Starfire seems comfortable doing so.

"Um…when I first started training my powers and the monks began to teach me to combine my combat training with my powers. Shields and such. I was 5 years old at the time, and well they didn't go easy on me…so when I passed out, my powers manifested themselves as a raven that cawed once. It's an instinctive thing that all Azarathanians have to…uh, sort of show that they're in pain or unconscious so that someone can find and um…help them."

"Why do you do that?"

She raises her eyebrow in question.

"Why do you put yourself in danger like that? Why must you deny the fact that you _are_ sometimes weak?" I ask her, I never understood how she could build up such a prideful wall around her.

"I don't like to acknowledge it and I definitely don't appreciate it being shoved in my face, Robin." She growled, narrowing her eyes in annoyance.

"You didn't answer my first question. You have to know that there are people that care about you. A lot. You shouldn't purposely put them through that kind of worry. If not for you, than them." I know i shouldn't push her like this, but I need to know.

"I don't purposely put myself in danger Robin! I may occasionally become a little risky, but I'm a hero and I'm going to do everything I can to speed up this recovery I do so abhor!"

"I'm a hero as well, but you don't see me getting tortured by demons or begging to try dialysis after being WARNED not to! I have Slade to worry—"

"Slade! Slade! _Slade!_ Is that all I'll ever get from you? You seriously need to get over your obsession with him! He's a genius with a grotesque state of mind, and unless he's with you all the time, he shouldn't be your main focus!"

The anger I feel boiling its way up my body suddenly erupts and the vomit of blazing words exits my lips before I can stop it.

"At least I don't pretend to be something I'm not! You constantly deny the fact that you were born of a demon! Maybe that's the reason you cause others so much pain!" The second the last sentence begins to echo in the tiny, white room, I begin to regret ever letting them out.

Raven's face melts into a mask I know so well. This is the specific mask that only shows her eyes. The beautiful, violet eyes that now seem to shimmer because of the light film of salt water coating them.

The bright red tinge of light flashes in the med bay as I stiffly reach for my communicator…speak of the devil.

Slade.

* * *

Raven POV

This isn't a nightmare…it really happened. Robin just guaranteed what I knew the minute I told the team about the prophecy so many months back. They won't show it, but a small part of them believes I'm evil and that will never change. They'll always feel that way... and maybe they're right.

I sniff softly and wipe my eyes when I hear the quick staccato of footfalls in the hallway. I gulp down the despair for later as the door opens to reveal my guard for the mission's duration.

Beast Boy. "Hey Raven! You know laughter's the best medicine right?" He waggles his jade eyebrows mischievously.

_Kill me now._

* * *

Starfire's POV

Robin has decided to partake in the riding of the R-Motorbicycle instead of the T-vehicle to the place that shows the blinking on the GSP **(GPS ppl)**. He seems quite crimson on his cheeks here in the garage, but he launches out of sight before I can ask what is the matter.

"You wanna ride with me Star?" Cyborg inquires.

"Thank you, no. I shall do the flying to the site of battle." I reply.

He gets into the blue tainted locomotive and drives off as well. I attempt to fly as fast as I can by thinking of Robin, my happy thought. Kissing him…

In the close past, I had been attempting to help Robin more than usual in battle, but he either seems to forget what I did immediately or it does not do good for the mission and we slow down… I believe I need to do something more extreme.

* * *

**Man it's hard to write in star's pov… so sorry for the wait guys I know I left you hanging…about the birds, every couple needs to fight a little...right? I hope I can update soon and uh PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEEEEEAAAAASSSSSEEE REVIEWWWWW!**

**Love ya,**

**XOXOXO~shadow**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Hey readers hows it going? Hope you're liking the story. If not, please state what you don't like. If you do, encouragement is oh so welcomed! People who refused to review and make me sad:** **Mayabi Yoruno, Infernalancient, Ignite the Airwaves, and Cat-BeckXCupcakes13. **** I only got 7 reviews for ch 14 which is part of the reason I waited so long to update. I love the ones who took the time to write something more detailed than "great. Update soon." You know who you are. **

**Sorry for the wait guys. Here's chapter(look up)**

These Slade-bots have obviously been modified. They are sturdier, more agile than the others and equipped with lasers as well as a sort of gun that shoots out sticky, black balls of goop meant to slow down an opponent. No longer are these to be used as mere distractions for the three titans, they are true challenges. The past few days fighting against these they were easily disabled, but now the tables have turned. Starfire shoots star-bolts in every direction, but rarely do they render the targets useless. There are too many and the slime coming from their guns seem endless. Cyborg needs to punch almost every Slade-bot at least twice before his metal fist sinks through the thick armor. He's doing his best, as always, but they just keep coming. Robin is holding his own for now, but with every other mechanical replica of his arch nemesis, his mind wanders and he ends up with a bruised jaw and slashes across his torso.

The dark beauty just keeps flashing in his mind and his anger flares again. He's not irritated with her…in fact, he doesn't care anymore about the words she said. The Boy Wonder knows that letting anger power his battle skills is only going to hinder him, but it seems that Raven brings out more emotion in him than any other teammate… For this he gains another few lacerations across his bloody back. His focus shifts back to the fight at hand, but he can't keep himself concentrated on anything but her for too long. Robin feels like an idiot and he didn't mean a word he said in the Med Bay. He thinks that maybe he deserves the royal butt-kicking he's enduring.

Suddenly, he hears a loud grunt from Cyborg who's been stuck to the wall with goop and every time he tries to escape they shoot again. Robin attempts to help his mechanical brother, but the robots keep him from doing anything but combat. Another scream echoes through the warehouse and Starfire is stuck to the opposite wall. Robin fleetingly wonders why they don't use it on him as the robots surrounding him crumple to the ground simultaneously.

"What the-"Robin is cut off by the screech of his name from an alien who struggles against the robots still shooting at her. The spiky haired hero is about to got help Cyborg when from across the room he notices a sinister, familiar chuckle that often haunts his nightmares.

Slowly, Robin turns to meet his worst enemy, the one who always seems to get away with every crime, the evil mastermind that he wouldn't hesitate to murder…_Slade_.

"What do you want this time, Slade? I'll guarantee you won't get it." Robin snarls.

"Just answers dear boy." The masked man known as Slade begins to circle the Boy Wonder, giving him a wide berth so as not to provoke combat…yet. He looks like a menacing wolf ready to strike at any moment.

"What kind of answers?" Robin's too curious not to ask as the struggles of his teammates become background noise.

"I have quite a few questions actually. Every foe I've sent you this past week has been met with merely three Teen Titans. I asked myself why and observed the rest of your battles as well as…well that's better left unknown. There is always one little witch I do so miss seeing… Tell me Robin…" Here Slade tackles Robin and pins him to the ground with an iron grip. "How's Raven?"

* * *

Raven POV

What's taking them so long? Oh right…Slade. I can only take so much mind-numbing chatter before I kill the green changeling…or myself. I've already attempted to shut him up by various means, but without my powers, I'm a lot less intimidating than I used to be. Eventually, I tuned him out and now his voice is an annoying squeaking in my ears. I don't know which is worse between replaying the last time I saw Robin and listening to Beast Boy's poor excuses for jokes. Every time I see The Boy Blunder's face in my mind's eye, I feel as if a knife plunges through my heart. There are a lot of knives stuck in there. To keep from crying like the weakling I've become, I turn back to Beast Boy's seemingly endless supply of ideas that are apparently supposed to make me laugh. He probably feels the same way as Robin does about me: that I'm evil. Cyborg? Him I'm not sure. I suppose a small part of all of them believes it. Robin was the only one bold enough to finally reveal it.

* * *

Robin has Slade are locked in a battle that neither are willing to end without significant damage to the other. So far, it seems tied excluding the damage Robin endured fighting the Slade-bots. Cyborg has come up with a plan to get out of this sticky substance and hopes it'll work before Robin gets himself killed or his ears are overloaded by Starfire's useless screams.

Meanwhile, Robin is desperately trying to ignore the painful cuts he's earned from the Slade-bots earlier and still land a few good hits on Slade. How does he always seem to know what's going on in the Titan's lives? His vision blurs and goes red as the man clad in orange and black comments on his impatience and how he seems unfocused…Robin wants to punch that smirk surely showing under that mask right off his face.

Cyborg releases a sonic blast that depletes half his battery toppling the robots surrounding him like bowling pins in the process. He frees Starfire before running towards the pair of enemies intending to cause major damage to that freak's lame armor.

The notorious Slade disappears before he gets there….leaving three very confused Titans in the warehouse.

* * *

Raven POV

Beast Boy's ears quirk and his mouth _finally _closes.

"What? Have you used up your supply of nonsense at last?" I quip.

He sticks his tongue out at me in an immature display of offense and replies, "No! I think I hear the others coming back from the mission."

"Great. Leave" I need to pretend to be asleep before Robin comes to give some speech made up on the spot concluding with a false apology.

Beast Boy stomps out of the Med Bay as I close my eyes and slow my breathing enough to elicit sore complaints from my healing ribs.

* * *

Starfire's POV

I suppose gathering attention while vulnerable because of Robin's 'obsession' with the Slade doesn't work as well as any of my other methods. The villain seems to dislike the Raven witch as much as I do….

Cyborg, me, and Robbie enter the home and are loudly greeted by Beast Boy's ramblings, but it is clear we simply wish to wash away the grime of the previous mission and we all sulk on our way back to rooms located in the Tower.

After washing away the filthy goop that reminds me of glortha blith on the swamps of Tameran, I blow dry my silken red hair and step back into my pretty pink space of dwelling wearing my 'hot' pink robe. Walking across my plushy carpet, I notice a strange blinking on the device of computer I am required to keep in my space of dwelling. I open it and find a request to do the video chatting…but I've only ever gotten ones from friends on other teams across Earth…not from this unfamiliar pattern of nonsense.

I click on the answer button anyway.

Mustard princess tam. Connecting to **E**8945628**d**924934687**a**7864229**L**1654230**s**

A sudden image appears on the glass of a room that is dark and a gray eye staring. I stare confused as a smaller image of me is positioned in the right corner. Why aren't I bigger?

"Who are you fellow chatter of video?"

"Oh I believe you know me Starfire." The voice that seems to come out of nowhere startles me and I don't notice how familiar it sounds.

"I do not recognize you for it is too dark."

"No matter…I believe we have a common goal child." This voice is sooo….SLADE!

I'm about to shoot star-bolts at the evil image on the screen with the realization until he yells at me.

"Oh so now you recognize me." He takes a breath. "You cannot harm me from where you are little alien there is no use in attacking your computer."

"Oh…what is it you desire?" I copy Robin, lowering my arms poised for battle

"You don't like Raven much do you?"

"How would you have any idea of that?" is he a reader of minds?

"I have my sources. Now, I think we both want to…get rid of the girl...correct me if I'm assuming too much."

"I would not like her here…go on." Maybe Slade isn't as bad as everyone believes…could I betray my team? Could I betray _my_ Robbie? What if he becomes not mine though? Then I'd have to regain his love.

"Would you like to help me…make sure she leaves and …forgets to return?"

"How would we do that? Would the other Titans know? No one will get…hurt correct?"

"No child…no one will get hurt." He laughs. "Do we have an alliance?"

"I will help you…as long as no innocents are harmed."

"Excellent. I will call in a few days in this same fashion and describe the plan. Be ready."

I nod in the little screen and it disappears….what did I just do?

* * *

Robin's POV

When we get back into the tower, Cyborg insists he wrap the cuts on my back since Raven can't heal me. I'm too tired to refuse and I've got to talk to him about something important anyway. I just hope Raven isn't awake when we go into the Med Bay to get the gauze. I don't know how I'll ever gain her trust again. I've really done it this time…

Cyborg and I walk in silence toward the door and I sense her emotions slam into me like a sack of solid cement and I gasp as they drown me in misery, dread, anger…she's not sleeping. She's just pretending so she can avoid looking at me. Cyborg stares at me in confusion.

"Later."

He nods and I remove my shirt and gloves, revealing my dislocated finger and the cuts on my torso. He wraps them swiftly as I gaze at her face; Her mask so flawless that the only way through it would be her violet eyes.

Cyborg snaps my finger back into place, but I barely flinch. It's like she lends me strength without even speaking.

"Alright you're set bro. Whatcha wanna talk about?" he asks.

I jerk my head towards the door and we walk to his room. The constant glow of his computers fills the room enough that he doesn't ever need to turn the lights on. He grabs a rag, wets it with steel cleaner **(A/N:uh yeah I don't know what he's made of sorry) **and proceeds to scrub off the ebony goop staining his armor. He turns back to me and shoots me an expectant look.

I take a deep breath. "Let me just start from the beginning. I was in the Med Bay with Raven…"

He smirks at me. When he doesn't comment I continue, "… and we got into an argument."

His dark features sink into a frown. I can't tell if he feels protective towards Raven or…I'm not sure.

"It was about how she always hides when she's in pain. How she always downplays what she's feeling as if it doesn't matter…to me…to the team. Slade got into it somehow and I got so angry I… *sigh* I brought up her…heritage…that maybe that's why she causes others so much pain." I lowers my head in shame…how could I have said that?

"You WHAT?! YOU WHAT?! Oh, no man…no." He lets out a long breath and shakes his head lifting his arms and throwing them back down; the rag flutters to the ground with the motion. He places one hand on his face in exasperation. He mutters something that sounds like "Of all the times he could have brought him up…"

"I know…I know I messed up…I let her down. I don't know what to do Cyborg. Every scenario I run through my head…it just ends up with Raven hating me…like she already does…how will I ever gain her trust again? I never wanted to hurt her Cy I swear…I can't…I…can't lose her you know? I'm thinking about her all the time even when I'm not with her…that's why I wasn't that focused with the Slade-bots. I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd do without her." My shoulders slump. The guilt…feels like tiny worms eating at my stomach bit by bit.

"Cyborg sighs and gives me a knowing smile, placing a heavy, metallic palm on my shoulder. "First of all, do you remember that I told you I'd be here? Back when we were prepping Raven for the ride home while she was hurt?"

I nod, wincing at the flash of Raven's injuries behind my eyelids.

"I think you need a little help. Dude, you're in love. Don't question! Don't doubt. You know it's true, man and you guys…just click. Forget about being a hero, forget about the team. You two have enough chemistry to blow up all of Jump and you need to let her know that." Despite his warning doubts fill my head…then I look up at his expression. He's totally serious and he…sees it. The certainty in my brother's eyes causes the familiar explosion of realization I experience right after solving a case and everything suddenly makes sense.

How could I not see it before!? Every time I look at her my breath catches. I'm always thinking of her no matter what I'm doing and how I always know how she feels…who she is…regardless of the mental bond.

I'm in love with Raven Roth**.**

**(To be honest, I would have stopped there but you guys deserve more.)**

* * *

Raven POV

I'm tired. But, with the wild, unbridled emotions ripping through my lungs, my stomach, my heart…I won't be able to sleep even if I try. These feelings are only familiar to me because of the fact that I've always been an empath, but I've never experienced them with such clarity before. Never known this type of…emotional pain. There's no doubt I love him but I'm starting to doubt my empathic nature. Maybe I was wrong about Robin loving me…maybe the igle venom affected my powers enough that even my sense of feeling others emotions was skewed…no. Even if they were, I'd still feel Robin's correct emotions because of our bond.

If he loves me, how could he say that…think that about me? Maybe he's come to accept it? That I'll always be damned to hurt the ones I love with the concern I lack for my own well-being?

I sigh with exhaustion even though I haven't moved all day. My body is weak…I want so badly to get back on my feet, but I know I wouldn't be able to even stand without help. How do people heal so slowly like this…it's so tedious…so…annoying…my eyes slip closed despite the constant ache.

_darkness and voices. _

_"__You remember how to behave child. No powers, no weakness, no emotion. You are older and stronger since our last session. Consequently, the level shall be increased." The Azarathanian circled her like a vulture before it dug into an old carcass, watching as the other monks tied the terrified, purple haired girl into the ropes into an X like they always do. She knows better than to utter any sound at all, instead concentrating on taming the bristling monster inside fighting to get out._

_The level of "Azarathanian Power Control Training" had been too high for her tiny body to handle._

_They'd used whips and torches this time._

_50 lashes to her back. Burns on her legs. And the usuals: cuts, bruises, dislocated or sprained bones._

_She could feel her powers trying to mend her as some of the skin ripped off her shoulder blade sowed itself back together and scarred."Ah, ah ah, my little Black Bird. NO powers!" The one in the black robe reprimanded her while sliding a knife up her forearm, sadistic smirk only slightly visible under the cover of his hood. Raven tried so hard. She truly did. Pulled with all her might at the tendrils of blue and black screaming and pushing her barriers to the limit despite the worst pain of her life. How could she not scream?-_

* * *

Robin's POV

_"__You remember how to behave child. No powers, no weakness, no emotion. You are older and stronger since our last session. Consequently, the level shall be increased." The Azarathanian circled a pale child like a vulture before it dug into an old carcass, watching as the other monks tied the terrified, purple haired girl into the ropes into an X like they always do. She knows better than to utter any sound at all, instead concentrating on taming the bristling monster inside fighting to get out._

_The level of "Azarathanian Power Control Training" had been too high for her tiny body to handle._

_They'd used whips and torches this time._

_50 lashes to her back. Burns on her legs. And the usuals: cuts, bruises, dislocated or sprained bones. She screams in agony a child her age should NEVER have to endure._

"Raven!" I shoot up in bed, the moonlight spilling through the large window by my bed. I pant attempting to catch my breath and remember my…no _her _nightmare. She…was the girl…how could they do that to her?

As my breathing pattern levels and quiets, I become aware of a small whimpering noise coming from far outside my room. She must still be living that memory as she sleeps. I jump out of bed, snatching my mask off of the night-table before sprinting left, right, right once more to the steel door labeled 'Med Bay'. I'm only wearing my blue boxers and domino mask, but Raven has seen me like this before multiple times, mostly when I get nightmares. We only share the ones that affect us the most and that's only when we're both asleep.

I listen to her squeaks and sobs only a moment before pushing the button by the door and dash to her bedside…a place that's steadily feeling more like home...a place I never want to leave: her side.

I press my bare hand against her shoulder and wrap my fingers around it. She immediately relaxes…then begins to shiver, her delicate eyebrows pushing together and her head turning to the side as if to hide something.

"Raven, you awoke as soon as I touched you…are you alright?" Her well-being has become my number one priority somehow. I don't know when it shifted, but it did…just like my heart did. It beats out of time when she smiles. What I'd give to see that smile directed at me again…

* * *

Raven POV

HE KNOWS. He knows he's in love, he knows how they tortured me…by the time I get out of here he'll know everything! He doesn't deserve to know. Lovers don't crush their other halves whenever they get angry.

His hand on my shoulder sends sparks through my every fiber and though I try…oh, I'm trying to ignore him it just…_doesn't work_.

_When did he become so important to me? When did I suddenly fall so suddenly into his arms…in love?_

* * *

**I'm sorry guys, I would've kept going man you guys deserve it after that wait… **

**It feels like I've got so many people who support this story I can't believe I haven't gotten any haters! I can't express how much I love you guys! I got 100 reviews!**

**Woo-hoo! You guys rule! You'll always be my inspiration as long as you keep telling me what you think of this story or this chapter.**

**Fave part? What'd you hate? Love? Rate my writing skills from 1 to 10? Anything guys! Anything! **

**XOXOXOXO~shadow**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Sorry for the wait again guys. AP classes suck. Reality's boring. **

**People who made me sad by not reviewing: ****pepper34, greenwolf19, AllenAndArth and LiuBiao and a bunch more probably. I just don't kno their names. **

**Oh hey I heard this narration video on Raven's real story from the comics and it turns out I got this story all wrong…sooo I'm just gonna go with what I got and um create her past from what I imagined it was. If you want to see the video the link will be at the end AN. Just to make sure you read ;)Anyway, chapter 16 everyone:**

**PS: (stolen from ElisaCollette): ****Okay, I have to ask: Reviews in the past few chapters have dropped off a little bit. So, for those of you who have stopped reviewing, what's up? Are you bored? **

**For those of you who continue to read and review faithfully – thank you! You're wonderful! Forget I'm mentioning this! What do you think?**

**PPS: IN THIS FANFIC, RAVEN IS 17 YEARS OLD**

* * *

Raven POV

Maybe I should just ignore him. He might not mean a thing. He's not concerned for the demon's child in denial. I open my eyes but I don't look toward him. I won't melt. How to get out of this… if it was Beast Boy, staying quiet would eventually bore him and he'd leave, but Robin's just as stubborn as I am and we both know he'd wait here all night for an answer and I don't want to waste my time on that.

I'll simply keep repeating to myself that he doesn't care…ouch…knives again…_he doesn't care…_ not that anyone cared almost all your life and you survived…until I met him.. HE DOESN'T C—

"Raven…please listen to me…you may think I'm only here because I'm the leader of this team, but the truth is…I'm not. Come on Raven you can't lay there and honestly tell me that you can't hear the sincerity in my words…in my voice…"

I try to tune out but the only other noise to concentrate on is my slightly shallow breathing pattern and it doesn't capture me like his voice does. Despite his earlier piercing words, the sincerity and regret is too prominent to ignore. What have I become…? No longer am I Raven the independent Ice Queen that's for sure…in fact…that title perished in the flames of my rebirth into a life without my father. I simply cannot ignore others the way I did before. It used to be effortless to just concentrate on something other than another's words, but now that I _feel_ for myself what it's like to be completely shut out by someone you care for…it's not so impersonal.

"Raven, when I blurted those words it was simply to hurt you and apparently it was all my brain could come up with at such short notice since you'd brought up a topic I rarely enjoy to discuss. The point is…_I didn't. mean. A word of it. _I'm so sorry. I apologize. I'll say it millions of times but I know you feel it. I'm beyond guilty for allowing those idiotic words to get past my lips and you can't ignore the facts either Rae. Admit you don't remember feeling sincerity behind that phrase when I spoke it over the anger. Admit you barely remember over the pain I caused the both of us. I know I hurt you Rae, but if you're willing to forgive me, I swear nothing like that would ever come out of me again. Never. Please Raven…I hate feeling like the only person in my life who understands me is angry with me…or hurt because of me and I doubt any of us can take it for much longer."

It didn't take more than a few moments for me to shift my eyes towards where his should be and consider the honesty and logic supporting his apology. It is difficult to come up with excuses to not trust another when you know they're not lying to your face.

"I'm sorry too. For making you mad. I understood why you instigated it anyway I just didn't want to admit it. I do put myself in…painful positions unnecessarily for…reasons I suppose you wouldn't understand. I forgive you Robin.

* * *

Robin's POV

What she's apologizing for is certainly not worth the 'I'm sorry'. She's not the one who mentioned a terrible piece of the past aimed to hurt the one you love. The fact that she's forgiven me elates me to the point of laughing in delight, but that would be ridiculous considering the reasons I came here so early in the morning in the first place.

"Thank you, Raven. Thank you! I promise I'll never hurt you like that again. I-"

"It's okay Robin. I get it." She smiles. The beauty makes me smile wider which is surprisingly possible.

It fades as I once more recall the reason the room is so dim and the window not lit with sunshine.

"What is it Robin?" She thinks I've forgotten…unfortunately this is something we need to discuss. Now.

"Raven, I shared your dream. Tonight." My hand slides from her shoulder, to the sheets, and into her right hand; I skim my bare fingers over her icy digits and shiver. In the excitement of being forgiven I'd forgotten that I hadn't bothered to bring clothes besides the boxers I usually sleep in and that the Med Bay is constantly frostier than the rest of the tower.

Her mask slips on instinctively and her face becomes emotionless, white stone as she stares without really seeing my concerned expression. _She _was the small child dangling in the same position—an X—Raven had been tied in a week and a half ago. Raven, my sweet Raven was bruised, burned and whipped at the hands of sadistic Azarathanians. Why hadn't she told me?

"Don't delay the inevitable Raven. If you lie, I'd know. That child was you. I'd know that face anywhere. Who were those people hurting you and why? Is that where you got all of those scars on your back?"

Her eyebrows furrow and she closes her eyes shut tight shying away from the lingering pain of the memory. I know. It's how I feel when I remember my parents. I attempt to soothe her by rubbing my thumb against the back of her hand. She gulps.

"Robin," she whispers. "…when I scream, truly scream, and you know how rare that is, I remember it. No exceptions. The memory you saw was of when I was young…obviously. My mother wanted me to learn to control my emotions, as you know, but you don't know how she accomplished it. She sent me to the Monk Temple. She did this every few years to make sure the level increased. She cared for me, but she knew not to show it because I wasn't allowed to love her back…What they did…the monks I mean…well they hurt me so that I could train myself to keep my emotions from overloading…or even showing at all. They increased the pain as I got older…until I left and came to Earth four years ago." Her eyes lower to her lap, ashamed at what she believes is weakness, when all I see is more evidence that she's stronger than she looks.

"Rae, it's in the past now. They will never hurt you again as long as I'm alive. I'm furious at the fact that it even happened. The ways that they ignored to teach you self-control were completely barbaric, sadistic and nothing short of demonic! How could they?! Raven if I ever—" Raven interrupts my unfiltered words caused by my protective, concerned and furious mood.

"Like you said, it's in the past. I don't like remembering. I don't need your ranting to instigate a flashback." She glares.

"Right. I'm sorry." I squeeze her hand. "Are there…any other times you've screamed?"

Bright amber suddenly drenches the window in color from the sunrise. We both turn to watch the light spread across the room. It reminds me of how Raven's white powers spread across the world and saving it from her father's wrath. She was so beautiful…powerful; but I do like short hair better. It simply suits her. How will I tell her I love her? Maybe she already kno—

She sighs, breaking my train of thought.

"I wish we could see it from the roof. Unfortunately, I can't leave this bed. Agh! I feel for my powers to teleport and find nothing! It's…unnatural and…empty."

"Don't worry Raven, you'll be healed soon and the first thing we'll do is watch the sunrise. Maybe Cyborg will even find a way for you to get out of this room even before you're completely healthy." I smile, hoping it proves contagious.

It does.

* * *

**I know it's short I really am sorry! I hope I can update sooner in the future. Gosh I hate high school! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A REVIEW PLEASE PLEASE! They encourage me to write!**

**WARNING: WATCHING THIS MAY RUIN YOUR DREAMS OF TEEN TITANS FOREVER. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. **

**It's on youtube. just copy past this to the end of youtube dot com**

/watch?v=t1ctOtj_hDM&feature=related


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Heyyy guys…sorry for the wait as always but I was struck with inspiration today do hopefully this one will be better than the last..man I can't believe I'm already at 17 chappies….wow!**

**Omg….i watched Breaking Dawn part 2! And I t was amazing! there are nooo words for the awesome way that those people portrayed that story! I loved it!**

**Ppl who made me sad and didn't review: The Keeper 0, Gabyarevalo, LaineLove, Inugoma, michelous, stupiderakun, sabbs123, TheRadicalRadish, Rose-Opal and pikachu12345. Cmon guys….plz? can I just once not post any names up here?**

**RXR AND rxr 3**

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Raven POV

I awaken to the hollow feeling I always have when I'm not with him. I wonder where he went. Waking alone…being alone is becoming…well, lonely. Since I can't simply get up and find everyone, I'm forced to sit here and think. When someone is left to think alone for long enough periods of time, one is inevitably forced to think of things they do not enjoy thinking of.

* * *

Robin POV

_Smack!_

My knuckles slap against the sand-filled bag in quick succession bringing with the pain a rush of endorphins and sweat. The knowledge of self-improvement is welcoming, but something still prevents this training session from distracting my mind.

_Left. Right. Grunt. Kick._

"…_told me they were helping me, but Cy, I think they did it because they could." _

_"You know you're going to have to tell Robin soon right?"_

_"I know. I just don't want to…I guess I'll just wait until he asks me himself…" _

_"Tell Robin what?" I walked in._

_"Oh! I was going to get Raven to tell you what happened with the dialysis machine since you had to leave for the mission before I could explain. __But,__ since I'm here, I might as well." Cyborg's trying-to-convince-you-with-this-giant-smile face is unmistakable._

Who are "they"? What did they do to my Raven? …The monks…of course. She must have had the same nightmare while Cyborg had watched over her, but it seemed like he…Could Cyborg…know what those monks did to her? My brother…now way he would keep this from me…right? Knowing Raven… no he'd still tell me…

_Right. Right. Left uppercut. Right jump kick._

Most importantly, what _else could she be hiding from me?_ Could _they_ be hiding from me?

I sigh, letting my hands fall to my sides limp and burning from the eustress inflicted on them. It's time I have a chat with my cybernetic friend…after a shower.

* * *

Starfire POV

I have been feeling the nervous lately waiting for the Slade to appear on my screen again. I left my room of dwelling this morning for waffles with the delicious liquid known as Mustard after an extremely long argument between Friend Beast Boy and Friend Cyborg over who will cook what...Raven would have ended it by…NO! Raven is not my friend as she once was! Cyborg prepared her meal before mine and then simply left to deliver it…she just adores attention and she'd do anything to obtain it…

She is evil! A witch! A demon! She's stealing Robbie away from me even when she clearly knows I love him and she definitely doesn't deserve him as I do!

When I return to my room of dwelling with a full stomach, I notice the blinking on the screen once more. The doubt I felt earlier was mistaken. This is the right thing to do.

I walk toward the device and click on the green button on it.

Mustard princess tam. Connecting to **E**8945628**d**924934687**a**7864229**L**1654230**s**

"I almost thought you wouldn't show your pretty face my dear. Glad to see you haven't had a change of heart." The Slade cloaked in darkness laughs in a low tone. I sit on the chair opposite his shadow on the screen and reply, my anger at _her_ reminding me to stay.

"My heart will not be doing any changing. You had…a plan?"

"Yes Starfire I have devised a plan. I noticed you and your teammates are taking shifts watching over poor Raven in the medical room. It is your turn next correct? Tell me, why is she in there? Can't she heal herself?"

"She is…injured. More ill than injured truly…and those who have made her ill came from another planet and have prevented her from using her healing abilities." Or she is simply not using them and is deciding herself to seem weak to gain _my_ Robin's attention?

"Mm. So she is vulnerable. Totally under _your_ control. You could do anything to her or... you could bring her to me. After that, you'd never have to see her again. She'll never make you angry, never keep you from things you desire or hurt you _ever_ again, child."

This possibility is tempting…and extreme. This is a decision meant to be made over time. If there is anything I've learned from my experience as the Princess of Tameran, it is that extreme decisions must be made in time.

"I will….think about it. I will make sure she learns her lesson, but if I do not bring her to you…?"

"Did we not agree to help each other my dear? You are my ally in this little scheme are you not?"

An ally…of my love's largest enemy…no! Scheming with the Slade! My eyes glow and widen in horror and I quickly click on the red end call button on the screen…eugh…Slade.

But…is he correct? At least to the smallest degree? Time Starfire…in time…

* * *

Robin POV

My shower didn't last long considering the questions swirling around in my head like bees. What has Raven told Cyborg that she hasn't told me? Her best friend. I understand who she is and why she does everything she does, so why would she need to keep anything from me? On my way to Cyborg's room I consider the possibility that Raven doesn't trust me…could it be? If need be, I would trust her with my identity because I realize how amazing she is at keeping secrets and how trustworthy she is towards those she cares for…and she cares for me right?

Cyborg's room is empty when I check there. He's probably in the living room killing brain cells with Beast Boy. I will never understand their friendship.

The living room doors slide open with a hiss as I walk in and step toward the couch. Both of the players are too wrapped up in their game to notice me.

"Ha! Booyah! Victory to the Videogame Overlord AGAIN!"

"No fair dude; you cheated!"

Beast Boy's whines and Cy's victory dance are interrupted by my request.

"Cyborg? May I have a word?" Cyborg seems momentarily shocked by my sudden appearance, but replies quickly.

"Sure man, what's up?"

I glance at BB.

"Fine…rematch when I get back!" Beast Boy stomps out of the room. My job as leader has its perks…

"So? Something up with Rae? She seemed fine when I brought her breakfast." He asks me about her right off the bat. Is it that obvious that she's always on my mind?

I take a seat on the semi-circle couch. Cyborg follows. Actually, I haven't seen Raven since I left her room this morning as she slept. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Starfire either. I wonder what she's up to. I clear my thoughts quickly and return to the reason I came.

"Cyborg, I'll be straight with you. Raven told me about what the monks did to her after she dreamt about it." Raven and I haven't really found a reason that everyone on the team needs to know we can share dreams.

Cyborg seems surprised for a millisecond before his face morphs to one of fake confusion. "What monks? What'd they do to her?"

"Don't play dumb with me Cy; I heard your conversation before you told me about the dialysis issue. I know you know. What I want to know is_ why you didn't tell me."_

He sighs in resignation. "Rob, it wasn't my place. You know how Ra—"

"I know how Raven is yes, but I'm the leader of this team; I need to know these things. As my friend, you should have told me. How did you even know? When did she tell you?" Why did she tell you before me?

"Don't lie to yourself, dude." He smirks. "You want to know this stuff because you looove her."

I glare.

"Look bro, I know you're upset, but she only told me because she _had _to. I doubt she would have told either of us if it wasn't absolutely necessary. She told me back when we first started the team, when" I'm about to interrupt with how absurd that is knowing Raven's trust issues. Since when would she _ever _tell anyone she just met about one of her so-called 'weaknesses'?!

He simply holds up his metallic hand and proceeds to explain. "Remember when you wanted everyone to get a body scan for safety reasons? When we first started the Titans, you wanted to make sure that neither of us were brainwashed by someone or whatever? Yeah well, you remember how I was the one who reviewed the results? I noticed the signs and scars. So I asked her about them just to make sure there wasn't anyone after her because she seemed unwilling to realize that we wanted her there. She ignored me and found creative ways to avoid the questions and eventually I was just kinda wary around her. Knowing how this affected the team negatively, she told me how it happened after a few months. Soundproof room and everything."

"And you just kept it to yourself? Just like that?"

"She…threatened me. Plus, it's better teammates trust each other so I kept her secrets like she told me to. We all have our share of dark times…Well, at least most of us."

"Secret_ss?" _I knew they were keeping things from me. What else was she forced to tell my brother when he reviewed her body scan?

"Robin, dude, you know I think of you as a brother, but I think of Raven as a sibling as well. I can't just ignore the fact that I swore to keep this from the team. If you really want to know, you have to talk to her."

I began to lift myself from the couch to do just that, but Cyborg pushed me back to sitting beside him. I look toward him, eyebrow raised.

"Bro, be careful okay? She acts tough on the outside, but she's got a soft heart. Raven's been through a lot in her life, and I know you're someone who will understand that." Cyborg's kind facial expression morphs into one of serious warning. "Hurt her, and you're in for a _huge _can of butt-kick no matter what you say. Got that?"

I smile. "Got it."

I saunter out of the living room to head toward Raven, but turn back before I reach the door. "I'd never purposely hurt her. I'd never break her heart."

Cy smiles and calls Beast Boy back into the room for another video game. I laugh at their antics and playful banter as BB pushes past me and jumps over the back of the couch.

* * *

Raven POV

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…" I slip out of the meditative state I've been in for the better part of today. It feels so strange to meditate without floating…

Okay, now that he knows he loves me, when is going to tell me? Should I confront him about it or wait to see if he'll even tell me at all? I don't deserve his love…he's so _good._ Me, I'm just a demon who tried to redeem herself with measly heroic deeds. In what dimension do those kinds of people ever find love? He's like an angel and…well it's obvious I'm not heavenly or divine at all. Who has ever heard of a love story like that? No one.

Besides, I've proven it to myself already…what kind of naïve idiot lets an evil dragon trick her into thinking she's beautiful and that they could be together? The kind that gets their heart broken by Malchior. I was so _stupid. "He lied…and I gave him what he wanted."_

Also, I'm…used goods. Evan took any form of purity that I may have had away from me. The only reason I gained pure powers is because I defeated the dark influence that caused them to be so impure.

After all of that, I don't deserve true love. He'd be amazing and he could be even more perfect than he seems if he didn't lower himself for the sake of useless…feelings.

I know him. Under all of that strength and courage, he's just as emotionally damaged as me. Maybe less. Who could be this much of a wreck? Certainly not Robin. Handsome, daring, righteous, determined…Robin.

The metal door of the Med Bay slides open. Speak of the…no. Robin is above that sort of derogatory phrase. Who came up with that anyway…?

"Hey Rae. How're you feeling?"

I take a deep breath. "Fine."

"Something bothering you?" He comes to sit by my side as always and stares at me. I can feel the tenderness and concern he radiates toward me.

First thing my brain tells me: deny, deny, deny. "I'm okay."

"You know you simply waste time spitting lies like that. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing important…" I mumble.

"Anything that's bothering you is important for me to get rid of. Now what's wrong?"

Oh, what the heck. Maybe I'll be doing him a favor. Helping him realize that maybe he doesn't love me as strongly as I'd thought. He doesn't even know what he'd be getting into… it's only fair to give him the facts before he makes a decision…One step at a time Raven. Just what's on your mind. That's the only thing he asked for.

"I was…just thinking…about Malchior."

The black pieces of his mask where his eyebrows should be pull together in concern. "Did you have that same nightmare again? The one where he comes back and burns the team to ashes?"

I wince. I hated that night. Of course he shared that dream with me the night after I trapped Malchior inside the book again. My memories flash back to a piece of that nightmare.

"_My sweet Raven, now that all of your pathetic little friends are dead, you and I can switch places. It's your turn to realize the misery you and Rorek have so ignorantly forced upon me!" The black magic swirled around me…suffocating me…sealing me within the ironically white book that used to be Malchior's prison…dooming me to a life of the morbid memories of the deaths I caused. The deaths of my family._

I inhale a shuddering breath at the horror…I was so dumb.

"Raven?" Robin brings me back to the Med Bay.

"Um… no I...wasn't dreaming. I was just thinking about how…love is an impossibility for me…" My eyes are downcast, ashamed of the inadequacy of my whole being.

Robin's face turned into one of confusion and faint disappointment. Under his skin, the frozen feeling of rejection shoots into his heart. No…I didn't mean to hurt him.

"Why is that?" His voice positively resounds with sadness, but also…hope.

"Well…Malchior kind of showed me how bad I am at…feeling. He was so…nice and so much like me…until I realized that he was more like me than I had thought. Evil on the inside…" I clench my teeth and hold back traitor tears. I _won't_ cry. I don't dare look up at his…mask.

"Raven, you can't possibly believe that's who you are. You were never evil no matter what your heritage includes. You chose to rise above that remember? You can't choose your father anymore than you can choose who you fall in love with."

Robin's voice and heart are so obviously full of sincerity, it's incredible… He continues as I listen in shock, my eyes slowly looking up at him bashfully.

"You're so sweet, beautiful on the inside and outside, and though you may not show it often, you are truly compassionate. Your altruism never ceases to amaze me and every time I look at you, I find hope. I mean if you want any further proof, it's obvious your worst fear is the horrid death of us. Your friends…family. No one is _bad_ at feeling. You just had to keep your emotions locked up so that you wouldn't hurt anyone. That is true self-sacrifice. Something that is admirable by everyone who knows you. That Malchior made you feel so incapable or undeserving of love is a downright shame Raven, because I Love You."

My whole body feels frozen but in flames, melting, but so rigid… My mind won't think, my mouth won't move. There's no sapling of doubt growing in my mind that this is fake or anything less than from the bottom of his very soul…this is really happening. I want to respond, but my lips won't even tremble.

Suddenly, the room is drenched in red light and the blaring sound of the siren that has become so familiar in my years here. Robin snaps right back into 'duty mode' and pulls out his communicator stating the lowly criminal: "Control Freak."

He sends me a sweet smile that sends my heart into overdrive and darts out of the room just as the alarm fades.

The door slides open once more before I can even begin to contemplate the implications behind Robin's words.

Glowing light jade eyes flash and spark before I hear Starfire's strangely hostile remark:

"Hello Raven."

* * *

**Wow…did I actually write that? I feel like my fingers just flew across the keyboard of their own accord. PLEASE PLEEEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSEE REVIEW!**

**Everything you think about this chapter needs to be typed out down in that box**

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**XOXO~shadow**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**Now I'm sure you guys hate my teachers as much as I do with the amount of homework they give me. I hope you guys enjoy this one. **

**Merry Christmas!**

**The one's who made me sad by keeping their reviews from me: dalulzing, a key and a cage, and many others that I don't know the users of.**

**Chapter 18 guys: oh hey I know I haven't written in third person for awhile, so I decided I would.**

* * *

Once congregated in the movie store, one of Control Freak's common locations of crime, the male titans find it isn't difficult in the slightest to spot the overweight technical genius. Though the team is incomplete without the girls, Robin's sarcastic side never ceases to come up with witty remarks to make about the idiotic, petty criminals.

"Don't you ever get tired of watching the same old movies? Maybe we should make a new one. We could call it…Titans defeat Control Freak…5." The other two teens laugh behind their leader. Yes, Robin had counted how many times the Titans had sent the nerd to a cell in Jump City Jail.

"Ha ha very funny. You won't be laughing when my army of candy and horror movie monster… things takes over your precious city now that your team is cut down to size!" Control Freak yells, his voice like a boy's undergoing puberty.

Robin scowls before shouting his trademark phrase, "Titans Go!"

Immediately succeeding the order, Beast Boy rapidly morphs into a bottle green Tyrannosaurus Rex and charges on a straight path toward the geek wielding a mostly black remote. How does he keep building these? The Titans already keep one in the evidence room.

Cyborg decides to challenge the carnivorous movie snacks, since he is the only Titan covered almost completely with various metals that the candies cannot chew through. Beast Boy is apprehended by a large cardboard cutout of Wicked Scary 4's main character. Well, apprehended may not be the correct term considering that at first glance at the monster he involuntarily morphs into a jade cat and scampers away.

Robin goes directly for the strangely dressed villain, but as hand to hand combat is not one of his strengths, Control Freak swiftly points his remote at the various DVD discs strewn about the floor and presses one of the numerous red buttons on its surface causing the crimson top of the device to glow for a moment. The remote makes the discs glow as well and before the leader of the Titans can reach him, the DVDs fly toward him in a large swarm, threatening to tear his skin open upon contact. Robin immediately changes course, heading to the left of the store and away from the discs. At a safe distance, Robin counts the CDs soaring at him and then everything in front of his eyes begins to move at a slower pace.

Many believe that Robin doesn't have a superpower. They think he's just a normal guy. These people would be wrong. Robin has higher levels of cognitive thinking. He's an amazing detective and his determination? _Incomparable._ Training from the Batman not only gives him strength and intelligence in battle, but he also gained the incredible ability to catalog everything in a particular setting during battle as well as every object that may help or hinder him in that setting. This includes flying compact discs. Seconds before the swarm is upon him, the Boy Wonder pulls out the appropriate amount of bird-a-rangs and slices the round projectiles in midair. The discs fall to the ground as the bird-a-rangs return to the hero's hands. He makes it look effortless. He heads toward the villain that's preoccupied with turning cutouts into golems. Climbing up onto the movie shelves, he swiftly leaps from one to another heading sneakily toward the obese red head while his back is turned. The air is filled with the loud exclamations of an irritated Cyborg and the squeaks and roars of a hesitant, indecisive Beast Boy morphing into different creatures while a cardboard cutout chases him around the store.

Robin suddenly tackles Control Freak without a sound. The convict and the brightly colored hero tumble to the ground in a flurry of grunts and girlish yelps (you can probably guess which came from who). Robin has the remote confiscated and the villain pinned in no time. To keep him from saying anything stupid, Robin sends his knuckles flying into Control Freak's cheek. Instantly, the criminal goes unconscious.

Robin doesn't notice. Punching someone had felt so good. He felt his anger seep out slowly with every hit. Soon, Robin's gloves are stained the color of robin feathers, making them look like sick Christmas mittens. **(AN: See what I did there?) ** All the while, Robin feels his anger dissolve. His anger for Control Freak for making him leave Raven's side, his anger for Slade's countless offenses against him and those he considers family, his anger at the igles who brought his love close to death, for the monks who tortured her body, but most of all, the anger aimed at himself for letting all of this happen. For never, _ever _being good enough.

The hero had forgotten that the unfortunate target of his blind blows was, in fact, a (barely) living human being until Cyborg and a few cops pulled him off of the villain and carried the fat nerd into an ambulance.

Beast Boy bashfully shuffled up to Robin who was staring regretfully at his bloody fingers. Robin abruptly snaps his head up, finally noticing the inner turmoil of Raven's emotions through the mental bond he shares with her. Beast Boy becomes an insignificant bystander to this realization when he utters:

"So…uh…what's up?"

* * *

Raven POV

"Uh…hi Star." I reply. Her determination, nervousness, jealousy and anger are definitely putting me on edge. The feelings are so strong that they mask the fury waging a war inside Robin's mind. Anyone who walked into the room would easily be able to feel the tension snap like electricity through the air.

Starfire began to deviously step toward my white cage of a bed, her plum boots creating tapping noises as the tips of her fingers crackled with suppressed, emerald energy.

My utter confusion shows on my face by the divot between my eyebrows and the slight tilt of my head. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes. The problem is you." Starfire snarls. I have never seen such hatred on the face of a girl I've only ever known to smile and laugh. My eyes widen. What did I do?

Suddenly, the alien at the foot of my bed grips the corners of my cot and forcefully launches it across the room. Before it smashes against the wall, it lands on the tiles and rolls away from the red-head. My shock was so great while losing my breath in midair that the pain of the IV needle being ripped out of my skin didn't even register until I saw the ebony blood and paid attention to the agony pounding throughout my entire body. Though not quite as sore as I would have been a few days ago, it still hurts to land on my back, what with the horrific pain seeping from my spine into my ribcage.

"Starfire?! Why?!" Why? Why is the only question that may get me out of this mess. The same question I asked Evan doesn't come to my aid now. Her eyes glow a vibrant green as she floats above me, hand poised for a shot at any part of me she can touch.

"You dare to inquire as to _why?! _ You ruined my 'moment' on that planet with him! You solicited his attention and then you _stole_ him from me, you _witch_!" She screeched.

Obviously, she's not in her right mind, but then again, if anything had been influencing her mentally, I would have sensed it…

Before I can figure out what she's ranting about, Starfire zooms to the ceiling of this damn room and points her blazing fist at me. As it begins to disconnect from her hand, I ignore the outrageous aches, muster my strength, and pull myself over the rails of the bed, landing a few feet from the scorched, white sheets in a whimpering heap of pale skin stained an inky black. My right hand still bleeds profusely as I slowly turn my head to stare helplessly at my traitorous assailant. Helpless. The worst feeling on this wretched planet.

The terrible soreness everywhere keeps me from moving from the fetal position I happened to fall into. My left arm is encased in a sling beneath me screaming in agony.

The fierce determination in her eyes that radiates from her very being overwhelms me and I know she won't miss this time. In the milliseconds before her star bolt generates in her palm, I see what the population of Tameran saw. I glimpse for an instant, a princess…a Queen that leads a planet effortlessly (since when did anything come to Starfire through effort?).

A Queen that would let nothing stand between her and what she wants.

Starfire swings her arm back as the ball of energy in her hand glows. I brace myself for the endless pain…pain…pain. I close my eyes.

Instead of listening to the battle cry of my former teammate, I hear the screeching of metal doors being pulled apart, sharp gasps all around, the ping of something powerful bouncing off of something it cannot penetrate, the skidding sound of metal soled boots travelling across tile, and something crashing into the legs of my the cot to my left. I had felt a gust of wind above me, smelled a bit of burning flesh, and tasted fresh tears. My tears.

All of these feelings were outside of my body of course. This account of the 2 seconds I winced within does not include the feelings that were not my own. Most of it happened to be shock, though one feeling stood out within the onslaught of a group of (mostly) human emotions.

Selfless courage.

I did not gain the opportunity to open my eyes. Before I drowned in unconsciousness, a horrifying yell of pain pierced my ears and stabbed my heart. A Robin's cry.

* * *

**Hope that satisfied your Christmas appetites. I know this chap came a little late for a Christmas present, but I did it!**

**All reader's thoughts on this story or chapter must be typed out in the review box below. PLEEEEEAAAAAASEEEE!**

**XOXO~shadow**


	19. Chapter 19

**Happy Valentines Month! Sorry the update came so late omg! Rehearsal's for the school musical and stupid school projects have kept me from performing my duty as author of this story. **

**PPl who read and didn't review (tht I know of): ravenfan253 and **

**:( **

**So without further ado, chapter 19!**

Robin POV

"When do you think he'll awaken?"

"Hard to say. I've never had to treat an injury…with this cause."

There is a growl. "Just say it Cyborg! She burned him. She was aiming for me. Starfire's dangerous. We can't trust her anymore." The statement ends in melancholy tones. No matter how often she pestered Rae, she was still…a friend.

Before I open my eyes I listen to their conversation. I want to gain as much information on Starfire's whereabouts before Raven and Cyborg become preoccupied with my condition.

"Which is why we put her in the holding room. She's not fighting though… think she's sorry?"

"Does it matter?" Raven croaks. "She. Hurt. him. He's been asleep for hours and Beast Boy has been sulking and playing videogames to pass the time for almost as long. He hasn't talked. You know how weird that is? Beast Boy with his mouth closed. Her actions have affected the whole team and she needs to face the consequences."

They put her in the holding room?! She's still _inside_ the tower!? Where she can come and get Raven a second time?! Why didn't they put her in a jail?!

"Robin. Just open your eyes already I know you're awake." Raven says. Momentarily sounding like a mother scolding her child.

Oh right. She can probably feel how annoyed I am at the fact that Starfire's _still here._ I start to open my eyes, squint and blink a whole lot; trying to get used to the fluorescent lighting. Cyborg immediately readjusts his position to stand over me; he had been standing between my cot and Raven's.

"Now don't get too—ah!" Raven began to warn me of something, but as she tried to sit up to see me around Cyborg's large frame blocking her from eye contact with me, she probably hurt herself and fell back to her pillow. Cyborg turns to make sure she's alright and I do the same. Or try to.

"Raven! Are you—ah!" I tried to sit up to see her, but made her same mistake. An area around my chest and torso begins to heat up and I feel like it's on fire. I hiss at the pain keeping me from checking on Rae.

"Wooooow. You guys are ridiculous! Rae! How many times have you done that?" Cyborg laughs.

Raven open her mouth to interrupt, but Cyborg continues.

"When are you gonna learn smartypants?! And you!" Cy spins on his heel to tease me. "You're gettin' stupid around her, you know that?"

He laughs so hard that he doubles over and Raven and I can finally see each other over him. We both examine the other, checking for any signs that one of us is in pain. Wow. We really are a lot alike…

Cyborg finally recovers and straightens, still chuckling slightly. "Ahaaa…lovebirds...whaddya gonna do? Hehe… Anyway," Cyborg makes sure to stand between us in a position facing the door so as not to block us from seeing each other. "What's up Robin? Give me the pain level.1 to 10. And _don't _downplay. Starfire gave you one heck of a burn there."

"A burn meant for me." Raven adds glumly.

"You can't possibly—"

The Med Bay doors open and interrupt my attempt to alleviate the useless guilt Raven's feeling.

"Hey guys. Everything okay? Hey dude, you're awake!" Beast Boy exclaims. I can tell something's off about him instantaneously. He doesn't move from the entrance of the room and he doesn't sound as excited about…well everything as he usually is. Beast Boy—of all people— sounds…heartbroken. I narrow my eyes at him behind my mask, attempting to pinpoint anything that could have this kind of effect on him, but respond nonetheless. "Yep. What's been going on since I was in this cot, Beast Boy?"

"Weelll the last time you were in that one was waayy back when you saw Slade in your head and you were all cuckoo LaBONZA and—"

"He means with Starfire, dimwit." Raven interjects, blunt as always.

At the mere mention of her name I feel anger bubbling in my stomach. I don't care that she was once a friend to us. She hurt Raven. And that's unforgivable.

"Oh…" Beast Boy hangs his head and keeps quiet.

At that, my furious feelings are quickly replaced with confusion. This behavior is so unlike him. He usually sticks his tongue out at Raven's harmless insults and when asked a question, almost always launches into an overly long and dramatic story about it. But this silent, green boy in the doorway doesn't sound like Beast Boy at all. I'm beginning to realize why Raven had used BB as an example of how horribly Starfire's choice affected us.

"What's keepin' you down, Grass Stain? Hey did you check up on the cameras in case Starfire tries anything?" Cyborg also notices his strange reactions and walks over to him, rubbing his hair in a friendly gesture.

"What's keeping me down?! She is! She looks so…so sad in there. She's not even doing anything! Just crying in a corner…I hate it…she was always so happy and fun…"

"Uh, BB? You sure you didn't hit your head somewhere? In case you hadn't noticed, she tried to _burn Raven!_" He throws his right hand to show Raven in the cot next to me for emphasis.

"Yeah…yeah I know! But what if it was an accident?! Or she has a good reason! Or what if she's being brain washed? Or maybe replaced by an evil ROBOT! OR—" His wild gesticulations don't keep Cyborg from interrupting.

"Beast Boy…she tried to hurt a team member. While she was in a _hospital bed." _Cyborg says, slowly. His reasoning doesn't seem to be working, so Raven steps in. Well, not exactly since she's on my side of the room, but still.

"Besides, if anything was controlling her brain, I would know."

"I'm going to call Titans East to come help us out with crime until Robin bounces back." Cyborg starts to leave the room with a good idea.

"No you wouldn't! Your powers aren't working!" Beast Boy tries to defend his argument, but for what? Why is he defending her?

"Let me explain, moron. Igle venom only affects the supernatural abilities that are purely offensive, which happens to be _most _of my powers, but not my ability to read emotions or sense things others cannot. Got it?"

"Well…well…what about Terra?!"

I sense Raven's immediate irritation and almost feel her rolling her eyes.

"When she hurt the whole team we still forgave her! She wasn't even here as long as Starfire!" He yells.

Raven sighed with her teeth grinding together and bared in an obvious show of aggression. I swear she nearly growled.

"She_ died!_ I swear if she hadn't sacrificed her _life_ for our city, she wouldn't have been anywhere except inside a jail where she had belonged since she betrayed us!" Raven yells, with no regard to Beast Boy's sensitive side at all. She begins to cough profusely because of all her screaming I suppose and I HATE that I can't help her. Or at least stand next to her. Cyborg has to do that for me, now…at least until I'm out of this damn bed. Thanks to _Starfire._

"_Breathe _Rae." I whisper in an attempt to keep her calm. She stops coughing after a bit.

So I'm stuck watching Beast Boy's face turn into one of misery and hopelessness. Why is he so adamant on defending Starfire when she clearly attacked Raven? He always seems to be attached to the ones who hurt us. Why _is_ that?

Beast Boy's always been the baby of the group. Naïve, immature and sensitive, despite what he'd have any relatively pretty girl believe. He's like a little brother to the whole team. Sure he can be stubborn and occasionally serious, but usually, he doesn't let anything keep him down because he cares about living life to the fullest. Full to the brim with fun and thrill. Apparently, he finds that in videogames, endless TV, and fighting crime as various creatures, but I can't judge.

He's like a brother to me. Seeing him like this and being unable to understand _why_ is aggravating because I've known him for years.

What has Starfire done?

* * *

Starfire's POV

What have I done?

I have hurted the one I love simply for the reason of revenge. Heroes are not supposed to indulge in vengefulness! I pull my knees close to my chest and cry into them some more.

Raven did not even deserve to be punished so horribly! Now I must tell the others of my trickery with Slade and I may not even be a member of Titans anymore!

Oh…why was I so consumed with negative emotion?! Why did I have to be so _stupid!?_

"_You always were easy to fool." Terra laughed._

She was correct…I'm easy to manipulate…even by Slade.

I wish I could apologize, but I'm probably going to be in here at least until Robbie wakes up…NO! He is no longer mine…I lost him a long time ago and I was simply too stubborn and rude to see that I had to let him go until I burned him.

What kind of hero commits such crimes?

More tears slide down my face. Like this I won't be able to use my powers at all, since they are controlled with positive emotion…of which I do not have at the moment…it is better this way. I cannot hurt anyone…and I won't.

Robin POV

After Beast Boy had stormed out of the room near tears and Cyborg returned, I decided that I need to have a talk with Starfire.

"I would ask how BB's doing, but he really needs to get a grip. Anyway, Bee's coming so that Beast Boy and I aren't the only ones on the battlefield when there's trouble in the city." Cyborg smirked. We all know he likes her.

"Oh you mean your girlfriend? Why does she need to come? We were doing well with Control Freak last time."

"She is NOT my girlfriend! She just happened to be the only one who could come!" He lies.

As if to confirm the falsity, Raven gives me a look and shakes her head, smiling slightly.

Cyborg huffs. "Besides, with Robin out of the game there's no way we'd get on without s_omeone _to help."

"Wait what? I can fight just fine! I'll just wrap an ace bandage around the gauze, take some painkillers, and I'll be fine!"

Cyborg's shaking his head before I'm finished. "If you think I'm going to let you out there when you're this burnt, you're crazy. You're not going to be able to fight in this condition! MAYBE if we did what you said (about the ace bandage), you'd be able to walk and talk at the same time. Maybe." Cyborg crosses his robotic arms.

Since I saw there was no way to win this argument considering Raven is also in the room, I suggest a desirable alternative.

"Okay. Well if I can walk and talk, I'm going to talk to St—"

"No." Raven knew exactly who I meant. She refused quickly, tersely. I know this tone. It means she won't let anything occur without her consent…unless_ I_ convince her otherwise.

"It's not dangerous. I know it. So there's no reason for me to be stuck in this cot any longer." I reason.

"It's not dangerous?! If Starfire has no prob with hurting Raven, she has no prob hurting you! So I'm not letting you in there!" Cyborg yells.

"I agree." Raven nods.

"Listen. Back on that planet while Raven was missing, I learned something about Starfire's powers. They only work when she is able to feel positive emotions. So, if she's crying in a corner like Beast Boy said, she wouldn't be able to hurt me…or anyone else." I glance at Rae.

"That's true, but she doesn't need her powers to harm you, Robin. You've taught us all some powerless combat training and in your condition, she could cause some serious damage before we get from the Command Center to the Holding room." Raven counters.

"Cyborg, you know of the lasers." I hold my hand out and smile. I'm winning.

"Right…eh…but what if…she's faking? The hidden lasers in the holding room couldn't protect you from a vengeful, powerful alien. Even if my aim _is_ incredible."

"I'm sure Raven would be able to tell if Starfire were really remorseful or not." I raise my eyebrow and turn my head to look at her; I know I've won.

She scowls at me, narrowing her eyes. I don't look away for moment even if her stare begins to make the bottom of my spine tingle. Finally, she hisses in resignation. She won't let me go without knowing she's won something though. So I wait for the offer.

"Alright Boy Blunder, if you're willing to take a risk like this, I'm going to take one too. Since the only reason Cy's girlfriend has to abandon her team to help us is because I can't heal you, I'm going to try. I know it probably won't work, but the miniscule amount of dialysis we did must have had at least a little bit of an effect and I'm going to use any slight amount of power I may have trying to heal you…at least a little." Her mind is set and there is a single emotion in her at the moment and that's determination. She won't budge on this one, but I have to speak to Starfire and if this is the cost, I'll let her try.

"Okay. I know you're not going to change your mind on this, but if it causes you pain, you're stopping. Alright?" I warn her.

She nods.

"OKAY?" I have to make sure she doesn't push herself.

"Okay; okay."She frowns

Cyborg sighs. "I trust you guys won't need much help at this point. Robin, you know where the supplies and pills are. Raven, the red button that sends a signal to my arm is right there…just in case." He winks as she glares at the insinuation that she'd need help…even if she did manage to get injured with me near.

I take a deep breath as Cyborg leaves the room and move my arms so I can sit up. Raven watches, caution in her eyes. I hold my breath as I push my body into a sitting position. She bites her lip and I wince at the ache in my ribs. She must know exactly how this feels…

When I finally sit on the white cot and get my legs over the side, I reach for the white cabinet between us and under the display screen. Inside, there are various orange pill bottles and bandages. I grab the painkillers and the ace bandages and place them on the bed beside me. I take two pain pills dry and lift my shirt, revealing the gauze around my torso dotted with blood. I frown and glance at Raven. Her jaw is set and her eyes show disappointment…in herself.

I wrap the ace around the gauze and give her a look.

"Raven. It's _not_ your fault."

"How can you say that? She hurt you! Because of some vendetta against me! Our family is broken…because of me." Her eyes lower in shame.

I sigh. When will she ever stop blaming herself? I have to be by her side. I begin to move out of the cot when the ace bandage is wrapped and my toes touch the tile next to my boots which had been set down next to the cot. I scoot a little so that my feet are close enough to my boots to slide them on. 3…2…1

I stand upright quickly. Like ripping a band-aid off. Except 50 times more painful. I groan a little and clutch my ribs with my arms. I can feel the charred, dead skin rub against itself beneath the bandages. Raven's head snaps up and her expression for once shows how worries she is about me.

"Robin—"

I take a step forward. It wasn't as bad as the first sudden move, but it still felt wrong. Raven feels the relief in me and visibly relaxes, knowing I'll be okay.

With that, the last couple of steps are easily traversed and I'm finally standing beside her. I place be bare hand against her cheek and she sighs, leaning into my palm.

"Raven. This couldn't have possibly been your fault. Okay?"

"But she attacked me." She protests weakly.

"No buts Rae. I jumped in front of that starbolt to protect you and you couldn't have stopped me from making that choice. I got hurt because_ I _decided to keep you safe and she let her starbolt hit me. None of that could have been prevented by you."

"I could've—"

"No Raven, you couldn't have convinced her to calm down and cease her attack. She was totally set on her decision. I'm sure you felt that from her. There is no valid reason as to why you should feel guilty. Alright?"

She sighs. Wow. She never let me win. I'm getting better at this.

"Don't feel so smug. This is a one-time thing Boy Blunder. Now lean forward so I can try to heal you." Her child-like irritation is adorable on her face, but I'd never tell her so I lean forward wordlessly. The dead skin still feels strange, but not as painful as it used to.

She places her hands over the bandages and closes her eyes tightly; searching for any flicker of power inside. I watch in silence and awe. She never ceases to amaze me. After everything, she still hopes for the best. As she always has. That's my Raven…

Her eyebrows soon begin to scrunch together with her effort and her fingers begin to push a bit on the bandages. If she pushes any harder, I'll start to feel it. Not that I'd stop her.

1 minute later, her hands drop to her sides again and she snarls in frustration, falling to her pillow once more. I run my fingers through her violet locks, offering any sort of comfort I can.

"Every time I attempt reaching for my powers, I feel empty. Like there's nothing left inside of me. I'm a shell made of shin and bone, but everything that I could feel that was internal feels gone. For about a half a second—maybe less— I recognized a flicker of magic somewhere. It was probably just my imagination trying to satisfy me by letting me hope that what I desire is there, but it's gone now..." She takes a deep breath. "I just really want to heal, Robin. Her eyes open and there I find a pools of purple filled to the brim with emotion. Desire, fear and a slight shimmer of hope. Always hoping.

"I'm sorry I can't help you, Robin…" Her eyes are downcast again.

"You tried your best Rae, I could see it. That's more than I could ever ask. Don't be sorry alright? You'll heal Raven. I know it. You'll be okay. And I'll be right here every step of the way. I promise."

She nods and the ghost of a smile crosses her lips.

"Now…I have a prisoner to attend to." I pull out my communicator and call Cyborg.

His face shows up immediately.

"I'm ready to see Starfire."

**PLEASE REVIEW! I WILL UPDATE SOONER WITH MORE REVIEWS AND EACH AND EVERY ONE COUNTS!**

**XOXO~shadow **


	20. Chapter 20

**I got only 3 or 4 reviews for chapter 19 and I felt that maybe you guys had got fed up with waiting so long. Look I'm sorry that I haven't been updating as frequently, but I try. I try.**

**So please, like gothgirl79, Lonnie and the wonderful IllyMjay, please please show your appreciation and opinions in the review box.**

**Love you guys**

**Chapter 20**

Robin POV

'_Be careful'_ she had said when I glanced back before heading towards Starfire's cell. I can see why she'd say so as well. The pain pills are keeping me together for now, but by the time I get to bed tonight, I doubt I'll be feeling so well.

I've made my way to the only prisoner's cell in the tower now and I'm absolutely unprepared. Usually the Teen Titans don't take captives, but when we have to, we put them here. This room is built from a rare metal that I don't remember the name of. Cyborg had told me it was almost indestructible. The room is extremely large for obvious reasons, but I don't think it's big enough to contain the anger I'll surely feel when I see her traitorous face.

I don't know what I'll say when I press the code into the door, but I must say something.

_Swish_

I hear a small gasp from the corner to my left and the second _swish_ of the door sliding closed behind me. Closing my eyes and gritting my teeth, I slowly turn my head to towards her. Opening my masked eyes, I watch a tentative Starfire begin to smile and fly towards me. I hold my hand out. The gesture to stop.

The redhead looks stung for a moment and then opens her mouth slightly, the expression on her face crestfallen. "Robin—"

"No. Starfire. Shut the _hell_ up and listen to me." I won't take any of her idiocy for another moment.

"We watched you aim a starbolt at Raven. She was already injured and you were hurting her on purpose! What is _wrong_ with you?!" My rage grows and these words shoot swiftly from my lips as if they're weapons. As I glare behind my mask, I make my way closer to this despicable alien, cornering her once more. "And don't you _dare_ make up excuses. I'd have no problem believing that you'd lie. Traitor."

"Robin I— I have something I must tell you." She looks on the verge of crying, and for once I don't care. At all.

"What? That you didn't mean it? That you're sorry? That you'll swear on some worthless Tameranean word no one understands that you won't do it again?! Well too bad, because those words won't make _any difference!_ You attacked a team-mate, Starfire and it's unacceptable!"

The tears began to leak from her emerald eyes as she whimpered, "I…spoke to Slade."

For a second, I hardly comprehended what she said, but when I did, I stood with a blank expression for a few moments; soaking in the fact that I didn't. even. see this coming.

"I know I was being the stupid! I was consumed with negative emotions and I let them take over when he contacted me and told me he could make Raven go away and I—"

"Get out." If she doesn't leave this room I'm going to hit her so hard she'll have forgotten every horrible, despicable lie she's ever told. From what's she's just revealed, maybe that's half of her memories.

"What?"

I turn away from her, punch the key pad to open the room and manually slide the metal door open. "GET OUT!"

Starfire looks shocked and terrified at the same time...and she has a good reason. Before I can begin to grab her to escort her out of the Tower, a large silver hand clamps onto my shoulder tightly.

Cyborg sends me a look that clearly says to calm down.

"You're being irrational, man."

"No!" I pull my shoulder from his grasp roughly. "She. Hurt. Raven."

I shoot a deadly glare at my former team mate. My former friend. "You're dead to me now. Or maybe I should get rid of you myself." I hiss.

Starfire covers a sharp gasp as Cyborg steps in front of me, keeping his hands ready.

"Robin, you're not thinking straight. Listen, I'm furious too. But I have to keep it under wraps because I had to figure out what to do with her."

"What to _do? _We kick her out! You already confiscated her communicator! What is there left to _do_?!" What is he thinking?!

The alien collapses behind Cyborg, sobbing loudly. Neither of us acknowledges her.

"We can't do that. Starfire knows too much about us anyway. She's like family. Or…was. Luckily I'm a genius and I set up one of these prison rooms in the improved Tower of our team in the east. Aquaman will know how to take care of her. And she'll be out of our hair. While she's there, Bee offered to be an extra team mate since we'll be needing all the help we can get. She'll will be here until we get things under control. Okay?"

I sigh through clenched teeth. "Just get her out of my sight…"

"Roger, captain." He frowns at the state I pushed the door into, then handcuffs Starfire and leads her out of the room. I don't spare her another glance and start to make my way to the Med Bay. But before I turn the corner, I bump into Beast Boy, who had been listening to our conversation the entire time. For once, I don't mind. He deserves to know anyway.

"She's…really leaving?" BB asks, his elf-like ears lowering slightly.

I only nod. He then proceeds to morph into a melancholy dog and lopes in the direction Cyborg had taken the redhead.

Raven's right. Starfire's broken the team.

* * *

Raven POV

"So. How'd it go?" Probably horribly.

"Better than expected I suppose…" Robin replies, squeezing my hand as if restraining himself.

"So… horribly?"

"Yes." A piece of Robin's hair flops in front of his mask because he hasn't gelled it since he woke up on the cot beside us. "Raven…" he sighs. "She…talked to Slade. She's easily manipulated and can't be trusted…she betrayed us all so completely…. Most of all, you. And now, for all I know, Slade is after you for god-knows-what and I can't do anything to stop it!"

"Calm down, Robin. We'll get this sorted out. Now where is she?"

"She's being sent to the Titans East. Bee's going to help us with the crime around here."

"Oh, finally! A sensible female!" Thank the Gods.

Robin smiles half-heartedly. Still angry and the slightest bit upset by the betrayal by one of our most trusted members.

**Yes I know it's really short, but if I continued it, it would have slowly descended into boring filler. So I decided I'll start the next chapter that way the time skip will be more natural. PLEEEEEAAAASSSSSEEEE REVIEW!**

**PS. THIS STORY MAY SOON COME TO A BIT OF A CLOSE. I'M PLANNING ON A SEQUEL YAY!**

**xoxo~shadow**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Okay I know I haven't updated in a while. I'm really sorry about that. really I am. I really hope you're still into the story! Thanks so much for all the favorites and story alerts! Also, I'm glad some of you have seen my one-shot called 'no hesitation' (also robrae)! For those of you who haven't, check it out!**

**LOOOOOVEEE XOXOXO**

Things have calmed down since the day Starfire left the Teen Titans. That was about two days ago. Robin has calmed himself, Cyborg looks less stressed because Bee has arrived, and Beast Boy seems to have been pacified with playing pranks on Cyborg and his "friend". Raven on the other hand, is still restless to get out of the hospital bed. So restless in fact, that she sent Robin out of the Med Bay, not only for his own good since he hasn't been eating as well as he used to, but to finally be alone after the whole Starfire incident and…to maybe meditate a little. Privacy.

* * *

Raven POV

All right. Breathe Raven. Take a deep breath of air that isn't shared with any visitors here at all. I'm alone. Just the way I like it…sometimes.

Cyborg removed the cast on my ankle and my arm, so I don't feel much like an immobile corpse anymore. I can lie on my side finally. And sometimes I can even stretch.

Everything about me is healing…except for my powers…

Robin's having a real meal in the kitchen for once even if it is just left-over pizza. Cyborg would have gladly made him one of his 'Cyborg Super Subs', but lately he's been working on this "surprise". I don't have the slightest clue as to what he's building this time, but I don't let it bother me much. He said I might be able to start dialysis today. I hope it doesn't end up a disaster like last time…

* * *

Starfire POV

Aquaman has come to visit my cell once again. He is only ever interested in the interrogating. I have not yet spoken to him about what I had said to the Slade and he is becoming more of the annoyed with each passing day. He wants to carry out Robin's orders I am supposing.

But I am much too ashamed of what I have done to respond in any other way than tears when Aquaman asks more and more questions.

No one here…seems to care. Yes Aquaman is in command of the Titans East now that Bee has supposedly…_replaced _me…oh it makes more tears drip to the white metal beneath me when I think of her.

On occasion, I spy a domino mask appraising me from outside the small window in the door. Speedy is so curious, but he never enters. Oh how I long for his company.

* * *

Raven POV

I finally start to feel bored when the door to the Med Bay slides open to reveal the leader of the Titans East.

"Hey Bumble Bee. How are you? I've heard you've been attached to Cyborg since you arrived." I smirk.

"Oh hush up Rae. Sparky hasn't left me alone since I stepped into his garage." Bee saunters over to my cot and grips the bar attached to it with both hands. "How've you been, sugar? Heard you had a run in with some blood-thirsty aliens."

"They were demons actually. The igles were kicked out of the underworld because they became too much of a problem for the occasional half-breed. They're the rare type that preys on the offspring of humans and demons. Anyway, they uh tortured me and now their venom in my bloodstream acts as a stopper to my powers. I can't access them…"

"Oh…" Bee seems to be at a loss for words until her sympathetic face twists into one of rage. "I've got half a mind to hop in a shuttle myself and electrify every one of those little buggers 'til they're all burned to a crisp for what they did to you!" She yells.

"It's okay, Bee. Cyborg's going to start me on dialysis today. My powers will be restored soon." _Hopefully._

"Pretty creative. He came up with that himself? That's…genius." Bee admits. Though I'm sure she wouldn't dare do so in front of—

"Hey, Sparky."

"How many times do I need to tell you!? That's not my name!" He huffs. "Raven, are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. Hook me up….Where's—"

"Robin's on his was way." Bee and Cyborg interrupt simultaneously. Their smirks match.

"That wasn't what I was going to ask. Where's…the..dialysis machine?" I narrow my eyes in irritation. How did they know?

Cyborg chuckles and Bee smiles, her red lips stretching over her pearly teeth.

"Rob's bringing the new and improved dialysis machine from my room. Don't worry Rae. This'll run without a hitch."

The steel doors of the Med Bay slide open and in rolls the dialysis machine, followed by a handsome, spiky-haired, boy wonder. He takes a deep breath and Bumble Bee moves out of the way to make room for the contraption that will hopefully restore my powers.

"This is going to work. I'll be right here the entire time. Don't worry." He smiles at me comfortingly.

"Aw, ain't that sweet…" Bee mumbles behind Robin.

Cyborg rolls his eye and brings the first needle toward my right hand. "Hold still."

The pain only lasts for a second or two and Robin holds onto my shoulder, rubbing small circles into my hospital gown with his thumb. Cyborg walks around my bed with the other needle and slowly punctures my left hand, taping the tube to my skin gently. I close my eyes and take a breath, preparing for the possible onslaught of power…or the lack of it.

"Ok Raven. Let's do this."

I open my eyes just as Cy pushes the green button and black blood fills the tube on my right. The feeling is still quite strange, but there's no pain this time. Just an uncomfortable tingling that travels up my arm and to my shoulder, where Robin squeezes me reassuringly.

Bee chews on her lip and Cyborg's metal hands are curled into fists. He takes in a sharp breath when crimson blood begins flowing towards the tube on my left. This is it. Do or die time. Except slightly less dramatic. I can feel everyone's concern for my well-being, but Robin's overshadows Bee and Cyborg by a landslide.

The untainted blood makes its way into my body, and yes, there's an immediate soreness, but nothing like the fire I'd felt the first time. The anesthetic in Cyborg's solution stings while it travels through my bloodstream, but that fades swiftly as well. Now all I'm left with is the sensation of my blood being taken and replaced along with the positive prospect of regaining my powers today.

I didn't realize my eyes were closed until I open them to the smiles on my friends' faces. I send them a soft smile in return and Cyborg pumps his fist in the air triumphantly.

"BOOYAH!" He exclaims.

Bee is hovering, her wings blurring with excitement and Robin sends me one of his heart-melting smiles as he runs his hand through my hair.

"Oh, yeah! This is the perfect time to reveal my surprise creation!"And before anyone can even ask, Cyborg dashes off to grab his new invention.

"Here we go again. Let's hope it's not another ridiculous waffle maker." I grin.

Robin chuckles, probably recalling the last time Cyborg had a technological 'surprise' and I had to pull him out of the Age of Barbarians.

"Hey! I love waffles!" Bee pouts.

Cyborg returns just as quickly as he'd left and the swish of the Med Bay doors are almost too slow to make enough space for his massive shoulders. "Yeah! Me too!" he laughs, toting something that rolls behind his back. "And now…I reveal to you…the _best_ in transportation since the—"

"Oh, get on with it!" Bee and I shout, simultaneously.

Cyborg grumbles as Robin chuckles beside me.

"Alright, alright…" With a dramatic flourish, Cyborg reveals a white, metal contraption. "I give you, Raven's freedom!"

"A walker?" Robin deadpans before I can get a word in. Bee raises one eyebrow.

"Not just any walker! It's an elderly person's dream! Wheels, easy hand grips, and no tennis balls! And the best part is the motion sensor on the legs. If Raven falls below a certain height, there is a secret compartment that will open and catch her in a net so that she won't collapse onto the floor! It's genius!" Cyborg smiles at it dotingly, like it's one of his greatest accomplishments.

"It's insulting." I growl. He really expects me to use that?

"I second that." Bee raises her hand and stares at the walker doubtfully.

Cyborg opens his mouth to protest, but I cut him off.

"If you really believe I can finally start walking on my own, why give me something to lean on? Shouldn't I get used to walking on my own again? And even _if _I do happen to need help getting around at first, I'm sure one of you guys would be more than willing. Am I right?"

"She's got a point." Robin agrees. I'm surprised for a moment. I would have initially thought that he'd take every precaution to keep me from hurting myself, but now I see he really does have some common sense in that head of his. At this, I smile.

"Well fine then! If no one appreciates my hard work, why don't we all see how strong you are, huh? Let's see you stand without any support." Cyborg huffs and crosses his metal-clad arms, annoyed with the lack of appreciation.

"Ahem." I narrow my eyes at his insulting challenge and gesture to the needles stuck in my hands. I can't exactly stand if I'm chained to this machine by my veins, now can I?

As Cyborg starts toward the stop button, Bee catches his wrist. "Look, Sparky. I'm sure she really appreciates what you're trying to do here, but with all of us here to keep her safe, none of us really think she'll need it."

All of a sudden, a piercing wail echoes throughout the tower and a red light encases the Med Bay, flashing every few seconds. Robin instantly pulls out his communicator and when he flips it open, his lips curl into a deep scowl and his mask shows us he's narrowing his eyes in disgust.

Cyborg and I know what symbol is blinking on his screen before he even spits the word: "Slade."

The entrance to the room reveals a flustered green boy with wide eyes and irritation radiating off of him. "Well? Are we going, or what? C'mon guys!" He gestures for the boys to follow him and dashes out the door.

Robin nods and lets go of my shoulder. "Since we know this particular enemy is extremely dangerous, I think it'd be best if you stay with Raven for this mission, BumbleBee."

She nods and the boys rush after Beast Boy.

The alarm shuts off as soon as the boys clear the building.

Bee walks over to the dialysis machine and presses the red button. All of the blood travelling through the device rushes into my left hand and I wince, still unused to the feeling. "What did you do that for?" I stare at my new team mate, perplexed.

"You do wanna get out of this room, right?" Her dark green eyes sparkle mischievously.

My lips curve into a smile and I gently pull out the needles piercing the backs of my hands. When the tubes and needles are out of the way, Bee offers her hand to help me sit up and I gladly accept.

I use her as support and gradually pull myself into a sitting position for the first time in a long time. It feels so good to move around like this. My lungs take in oxygen like I hadn't taken a breath since I was confined to this white room. My back stretches and I roll my head around a bit. The resulting sensation is so sweet and so worth it.

Bee smiles at me and lowers the bar on my cot. "Ready?"

"Bee, I've _been_ ready." My legs slide out from under the thin sheets I've come to think of as chains and dangle off of the side of the cage I've been forced to lie in for weeks. The hospital gown crinkles. It's coarse against my scarred flesh. This thing feels like it was made out of the same material as a potato sack. I know exactly where I'm going when I get out of this cursed room.

So as not to let myself remember the risk I'm taking, I quickly hop off the bed with Bee's arms holding mine and my toes touch the freezing tile, causing them to curl. My knees wobble and the scar on my thigh aches, but Bumble Bee steadies me and I'm finally, _finally_ standing.

My legs definitely needed this. Even if they're unstable now, I feel much better than I did on top of that cage of a cot I was sitting on. I look up at Bee and her radiant smile matches mine. I hardly ever smile this widely and my cheeks hurt, but I can't seem to stop. I'm free! And I'm _not_ going back to that damn bed ever again.

...

I ended up using the walker anyway. No one but Bumble Bee is around to embarrass me about it, and for once, she keeps her mouth shut about how ridiculously weak I must look in it.

After reassuring her that I'd be fine to walk to my room on my own (it took a lot of convincing), she said she'd be in the living room playing video games if I need her. Which I don't.

Standing on two legs took me less than 5 minutes to get used to. Using them on the other hand, is a totally different story. It takes a full 20 minutes to reach my room from the Med Bay. That's pathetic. But the shame of such a failure is swiftly forgotten when I enter the sanctuary of my room. The only person on the team who's been in here more than once is Robin. BB and Cyborg foolishly intruded once and ended up on nevermore. Starfire has never once step foot in my room. And now, she never will. It's a comforting thought. Almost as comforting as the feeling of my own clothes on my body again. I slowly drape one of my favorite cloaks around my shoulders after slipping on my boots and revel in the security of my favorite article of clothing. My hood is the only thing I have yet to don of my costume and now I slip that on as well. This is _way_ better than that scratchy hospital gown. I feel almost as safe as I do in Robin's arms…

My ideal state of uncharacteristic happiness is broken by a rustling somewhere in my room. The smile on my face disappears and I narrow my eyes, searching for the source. This better not be another of Beast Boy's idiotic pranks…

I hear it again, a shifting under my bed. I sigh, gripping the bar on the walker and pushing myself toward my circular, violet bed. When I'm about three feet away, a flash of black and orange knocks the walker out of my grasp and in my shock and loss of balance, I'm sent sprawling across my carpet. I roll away immediately and a metal-soled boot lands where I had landed. I rapidly crawl over to the wall so that I can pull myself up, but I'm intercepted by none other than…SLADE?!

My eyes widen and he promptly captures my wrists, hoists me up and slams me into the wall. The bookshelf beside me loses a few books from the impact.

"Aren't you…supposed to be fighting the team? …How are you…here?" I gasp, my lungs regaining the wind that had been knocked out of me.

"What? You don't consider yourself part of 'the team' anymore? Did my little raven lose her powers?" He chuckles as I struggle against him. If only I could just loosen his grip somehow…

"Shut up! You don't know anything about me!" I shout, hoping to alert Bumble Bee to the situation and keep my captor distracted. He still hasn't pulled his body close enough for me to be defenseless. I just need him to have his guard down for a moment.

"Oh, but I do know…so much. Starfire told me all about you…" He croons. I know what he's trying to do. He wants to bait me. He wants me to react wildly and struggle even more. But I won't fall for it. Not this time.

"Raven? Are you all right in there?" Bumble Bee yells from the living room. The sounds of lasers and revving engines can be heard from her video game. And it's just the distraction I need. Slade turns his head for a second and when he turns back, my feet slam into his chest hard.

He lands at the foot of my bed and I land near him since he didn't let go until he hit the floor. I recover before he does and use the powerless training Robin insisted we learn against my opponent now. I pin his arms to his side and sit on his chest, using my legs to keep his arms pinned to his sides.

In my condition, he'll break my hold soon so I punch him hard in the face repeatedly. Left, right, left right, left-right, until my knuckles begin to bruise against the armor on his mask. Finally, it breaks off and I expect to actually see the face of the man we've been fighting since the beginnings of the Teen Titans…but all I see is a bunch of sparking wires and a tiny screen with the image of the actual man I was meant to be fighting.

I nearly scream in frustration, but hold back in the face of the real Slade staring at me from the screen with his one, blue eye. "The robot wasn't lying you know. Starfire really did tell me a lot about you, my dear. Since she acted before asking me, I suppose I must forget about our alliance and come after you myself. I'll see you soon…Raven." I could almost make out a smile beneath that stupid mask of his. And to think I was actually so close… ugh! I'm such an idiot!

I roll off of the robot remains and listen to Bee's loud footsteps rushing to my room. Why is Slade after me? Isn't Robin his main focus? What did I do to gain his attention? Fear takes hold of my heart and squeezes it…_what does he want with me?_

* * *

**I thought a long chapter might make up for the time I was gone. I thought that since it's summer I might be able to update more often, but my summer is so chocked full of family trips and vacations and camps that it's probably not going to get much better when it comes to updating speed. I'm very grateful to all of the people who have reviewed and continue to follow my story. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you did, review! If you didn't, review! If you have a favorite part, review! If you love me, review! If you don't, review!**

**Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaasssssseeeee REVIEW!**

**XOXO~shadow**


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